Lamb in the Lion's Den
by Harp in the Willows
Summary: After moving to Republic City to take on a job, Li finds herself living in the unfamiliar territory of Pro-Benders, Equalists, and nobles. Adapting to a new lifestyle might be harder when your city's in the midst of a revolution. Contains AmonxOCxBolin and canon pairings.
1. Republic City

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**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**. **

* * *

"Li… Li… Honey, you need to wake up, or you'll miss your ride."

Li rolled over in her bed, pulling the blankets more tightly around her. There was a pause before the older woman standing above her sighed and walked out of the room.

"What?" The blankets were suddenly thrown off by the girl buried beneath them. Vision blurring slightly as her eyes adjusted to the light radiating from her bedside lamp, she stumbled out of bed and reached for the clean pair of clothes resting on a nearby reading chair.

A couple minutes later and she had donned a pair of grey pants and a long, sleeveless purple tunic. The older woman in the kitchen turned when Li stepped out of her bedroom.

"Hair?" She asked, looking the teenager up and down before her eyes came to rest on her head.

"Uhh…" Li made a heel face turn back into her room before emerging a moment later with her shoulder-length light brown hair in a loose ponytail. Approaching the kitchen table, her eyebrows lifted at the sight of her three-year-old sister squirming in her chair, none too happy to be awake at such any early hour.

The woman in the kitchen came over to the table, placing a tray of muffins in front of the three-year-old. "I know they're your favorite," she smiled at Li, who returned the expression.

"Thanks, Mama. Where's Papa?"

"I have no idea. He went out early this morning. I'm sure he'll be back in time to see you off." Her attention shifted to the pouting toddler.

"Mia, this is all there's going to be to eat before lunch. And you said you wanted to see sis off, didn't you?"

Li took a seat next to her little sister, looking at her out of the corner of her eye as she took a muffin from the tray and placed it in front of the toddler before taking one for herself.

"Mama, you make the best cinnamon muffins in the world," she grinned through a mouthful of the food.

"Don't want your muffin, Mimi?" She cocked her head at her sister, who pushed her lower lip out and looked away. "Suit yourself." She leaned toward her sister before slowly snaking her arm out and pulling the untouched muffin away.

"NO!" Mia shrieked, reaching for her stolen muffin.

Their mother jumped at the sudden outburst and looked at Li, who only grinned as her sister snatched her muffin back and stuffed half of it in her mouth.

* * *

"You're sure you have everything you need?"

"Yes."

"Remember your comb?"

"Yes."

"You have enough money?"

"Yes."

"Do you have directions for - ?"

"Yes, Mama!" Li laughed, setting the two large trunks down on the front steps.

"Mr. Jing should be here in a couple of minutes, so I guess – oh, there's your father."

Li turned to see the well-built figure of her father walking at a brisk pace towards them in the early morning light. Slightly out of breath when he stopped in front of her, he placed a small rectangular box in her hand.

"Sorry, but it won't be of any use until you get to the city." Before she could thank him, his arms encircled her, holding her close against his chest before reluctantly pulling away. "My brave little girl's grown up," he mused, his voice cracking at the end of the sentence before clearing his throat.

Li barely had enough time to place the package on top of a trunk before her mother was hugging her like they would never meet again, the fabric on her shoulder growing damp where her mother's head was. Her own eyes felt moist as she hugged her mother back.

"Liiiii." A small hand was tugging on her pants, and as her arms left her mother, she heard an engine approaching.

"Mmmm," Mia whimpered as she raised her arms toward her older sister.

With a good-natured sigh Li pulled her little sister into her arms before spinning around in a circle, Mia laughing in delight. "Take care of Mama and Papa for me, okay?" She smiled, kissing her on the cheek.

Mia responded by pushing her head into the crook of her neck.

"Mr. Jing's here," her father spoke up, and Li gave her sister a final squeeze before lowering her back to the ground.

"I'll send you a letter when I get there," she spoke up as she picked up her trunks, walking towards the rumbling satomobile.

Mr. Jing smiled and waved from the front seat at her parents, while Mia hid behind her mother's skirt.

Opening the rear door, Li slid her trunks onto the seats before taking the small package and sitting with Mr. Jing in the front.

"Ready to go?" He asked, and she nodded.

Looking out window, she waved at her parents and sister as the satomobile rolled forward.

"Seems like yesterday that I was in the same shoes as you, waving goodbye to my family," Mr. Jing commented. "The only difference being I had to walk to Republic City."

Li chuckled and wiped at her eyes. She knew Mr. Jing had been just as nervous and excited as she was now when he made the decision to move to a new city for a job.

The middle-aged man glanced from the road to the package in her lap. "What've you got there?"

"Don't know," she replied, pulling open one side of the box and dumping the contents into her hand. "The newspaper?" She held up the paper and something fell out from between the pages. Eyes wide, she inhaled sharply.

"What is it?" Mr. Jing asked, worried by her reaction.

Dropping the newspaper, she picked up the fallen contents. "Two tickets to the Pro-Bending Final?" Her voice rising as she read over the print on the think cards.

"That's a pretty good going away present! Those tickets are expensive and can be hard to come by."

Li was practically bouncing in her seat. "We don't have a radio, so all we know about the matches is what we read in the newspaper or hear from friends who have seen them. This is so cool!" She gushed, unable to stop grinning at the tickets.

* * *

"We're just about at Republic City," Mr. Jing announced, waking Li from her nap.

Instantly alert, she looked through the windows, her jaw dropping at the city gleaming in the afternoon sun, growing larger by the second. _I'm going to live here? It's huge! The buildings are so tall, and all the roads… What if I get lost? Am I going to be able to keep up with the rent?_ Her thoughts began to go downhill as they drove over a magnificent bridge suspended above water and into the heart of the city. Mr. Jing noticed her expression.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. And you have my address, so if there's something you need help with you'll know where to find me." He sent a reassuring grin her way, and the knots forming in her stomach loosened slightly.

After a few more minutes of driving down the busy main roads, Mr. Jing pulled over in front of an older apartment building. "Assuming I heard your address right, this is the place."

Li opened the door and held her package and its repacked contents to her chest tightly.

"Welcome to Republic City," Mr. Jing waved as he stepped out of the satomobile.

Grabbing her trunks, Li marched towards the doors as Mr. Jing held them open for her. Inside was a small reception desk with an old woman. She looked up as Li stepped forward.

"Hello, um, I have a contract for a room here," Li explained, fumbling for the signed papers in her pocket. Unfolding the leaflets, she passed them to the woman sitting across the desk. The woman looked at the papers before pulling out a large book from under the desk.

"If you could sign and date here." She flipped to a page with a number of signatures and handed her a pen.

Scribbling her name and the date, Li pushed to book back toward the woman.

"You'll keep this paper you signed earlier as proof of your residence," the woman explained, handing back one of the papers. "The other one is kept down here."

"Thank you," Li said as she stowed the paper in her pocket, the woman giving her a small smile.

"I trust you've read all that you're agreeing to and what we are not responsible for, as mentioned in the contract?" The woman called as she walked toward the stairs.

"Yes," she replied over her shoulder.

"Need any help? If you don't, I'll be heading on to the job now… Telling them I'm back from my vacation." Mr. Jing's expression turned gloomy.

"I think I'll be alright. And thank you for the ride," she lifted one arm and gave a small wave to the best of her ability with her trunk in hand. Mr. Jing gave his own small wave before turning for the front door.

"Good luck!" He called.

* * *

After giving the key a couple of hard twists in the lock, the door to room fourteen finally swung open. Li hesitantly entered her new home, the floorboards creaking under her feet. It was an old building, so it was understandable that everything wouldn't be very high maintenance. Living comfortably in the middle of the city was expensive, and with the money her family had, this apartment was the nicest she could afford without building up a debt. She also intended for her new job to pay for a portion of the rent.

The main room had an old green sofa and tea table, and on the left, the door to a very small bathroom. Against the same wall was a miniature kitchen area.

The bedroom was in separate room to the right, a low bed pushed in one corner with a dresser that might have been an antique facing it from the opposite wall. In both the main room and bedroom were a row of windows that ran along the entire length of the wall, giving a view of the restaurants and shops on the other side of the street.

"Hmmm," Li hummed in thought, placing her trunks and package on the bed. It would be getting dark in a few hours, and she didn't want to be roaming the streets of a foreign city on her own. "I think I'll go find a place to eat and worry about organizing and buying anything else tomorrow."

Stuffing a few bills in her pocket, she left the apartment, making sure the door was firmly locked behind her.

Stepping out into the early evening sun, she eyed the restaurants across from her, trying to estimate how much the food industries would charge for their meals. Spending would be more comfortable after she got her first pay check; right now her budget was limited.

Making up her mind on _Mushi's Diner_, she was just entering the flow of pedestrian traffic when a short scream came from behind. Several of the people beside her paused in their step and turned with her to see what the commotion was.

Li's eyes widened and she darted out of the center of the sidewalk, pushing a young woman and a man with her as a large polar bear dog burst form the crowd, a girl dressed in blue atop its back.

"Sorry, sorry! New here, sorry! Excuse us!" The teenager yelled above the surprised shouts of pedestrians.

Most people watched the large animal disappear into the distance before shaking their heads and moving on with their business.

Remembering the people she had pushed, Li spun toward them and gave an apologetic bow. "Sorry; I hope I didn't hurt you."

"Don't worry about it," waved the man, tipping his hat to her.

"Geez," muttered Li, looking in the direction the girl and animal had disappeared in. "Are all people in this city like that?"

"Not everyone." It was the young woman whom she had pushed that spoke, combing out her long dark hair with a gloved hand. "For the record, I've never seen that polar bear dog before," she chuckled.

Li smiled back shyly, suddenly feeling self-conscious in the presence of the beautiful teenager. She looked rich, and most girls from her hometown didn't dress up or put as much care into their appearance as the female before her had.

"Oh, sorry; where are my manners? I'm Asami Sato. And don't mind the shove – it probably saved me from being trampled." The beautiful youth extended her hand, gripping Li's in a surprisingly firm handshake, despite her delicate appearance.

"N-nice to meet you," Li stuttered, noticing a few people around them glancing at them and whispering as they passed. "Are you new here – I didn't catch your name?"

"Li," she quickly piped up. "Yes, I'm from out of town. I just moved in today."

"Well, welcome to Republic City! You'll love it here," Asami assured her with a grin. Her eyes moved to the watch on her wrist. "Oh no, I'm going to be late meeting my father!" Taking a few steps back, she gave a small wave. "Nice meeting you, Li. Enjoy the city!" She called as she turned and ran off into the crowd.

_Apart from the wild animals running in the streets, the people here seem okay. Maybe I'll see Asami again sometime? _

Looking both ways to make sure no satomobiles (or large animals) were coming, she darted across the road to the opposite sidewalk, skidding to a stop in front of the diner.

_Wait a minute… Asami Sato? As in the _sato_mobile? I just met someone famous and didn't realize it until after I said goodbye?_ Li face-palmed and shook her head. _No wonder people were looking at us – er – her. _Noticing a couple of people looking at her now, during her mental lecture, she dropped her hand from her darkening face. _Eat and then sleep. Work starts tomorrow._

Moving from her stationary pose on the sidewalk, she opened the door to the diner. "Please have something cheap and edible on the menu."


	2. The Triple Threat Triad

**Thank you to everyone who has either reviewed or put this story on their favorite/alert list! Muffins and cookies for you all! :D**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**.**

* * *

Unable to sleep well in her new surroundings, Li was awake with nervous energy by the time her wakeup call at 7:00 a.m. came around.

Buying a couple of apples from an open market on the way to her new job, she munched on breakfast while looking at her map of the city. There were many roads and few road signs, but their layout was pretty structured, and as long as she was really turning on blocks and crossing intersections where she thought she was on the map, the way to her destination was not too bad.

She let slip a relieved sigh when she saw the building whose appearance she had memorized when applying for the job nearly four months ago. At the edge of Republic City, the building stood near the water, a low brick wall keeping the tide from splashing onto the road.

Folding the map and stuffing it in her pocket, Li entered the building, coming to stop in front of a desk cluttered with papers and folders. A short woman with a few strands of grey in her dark hair stood up when she realized Li wanted her attention.

"Oh! My, are you the new staff member?" Li nodded.

"Yes, I thought so. I'm Mrs. Fong. Mr. Fong did say we would be getting some new faces these next few weeks. And your name is Li, correct?"

"Yes."

"Good, good. Well, we are very happy to have you here… If you would sign this paper – you'll sign it every day, when you arrive and when you leave. Thank you." She looked at the signature for a moment before pushing in her chair and motioning for Li to follow.

"Yes, we've been a bit understaffed of late. And you are signed on to be with the non-bending children," the jolly little woman chattered on, leading them down a small hall and gesturing to an open room on the left.

The room's occupants looked up as the two women entered. Li counted twelve children, all between the ages of four and seven. A teenage girl around her age sat in front of the children, a paintbrush in her hands.

"Hello," she gave Li a warm smile. "We're painting today."

"This is Li," introduced the older woman. "She'll be helping you out from now on."

"Okay." The girl stood up and placed her brush in a jar of paint before joining them. "Everyone keep working on your animals," she instructed the children as she turned her attention to Li.

"Hi, I'm Ling." She held her hand out before suddenly pulling it back, observing the red and blue paint on her palms. "Sorry," she chuckled and gave a small nod as her greeting.

"Ling will show you the ropes and all," Mrs. Fong stated. "If you have any concerns, I'll be out at the front desk. Don't be a stranger, come and see me if you have any unanswered questions after today…" She began to inch out of the room. "Enjoy your time with the children, they're wonderful darlings…" The old woman continued talking to herself as she left both girls alone with the group of children.

"Oh, I love that woman," Ling chuckled, shaking her head.

"So!" She slapped her hands and rubbed them together, smearing her hands purple. "There's another apron over there by the closet – don't want to recolor your outfit – and as you can see, we are going to make a mural to hang on the wall. Right now we're practicing drawing. Class!" Now she addressed the children.

"This is Miss Li! She's new here so make sure she feels welcomed!" The previously quiet classroom erupted with excited shouts and conversation.

"There goes the peace and quiet for the rest of the day," Ling shrugged. As Li finished tying her apron, Ling nudged her with an elbow.

"You might want to roll up your sleeves."

* * *

Li slumped to the floor, thoroughly exhausted.

"Sorry for keeping you so late," Ling apologized. "We didn't have as many paintbrushes as I thought so I figured those without could finger paint." She rolled her eyes. "I forgot you're messy when you're a kid, whether you're front a noble family or not."

"They're all rich kids?"

Ling nodded. "At least, all the kids in our class. Thank goodness they're not benders. I do not envy Suki – she said it's like being in a room with a bunch of miniature natural disasters," laughed the girl. Li smiled and untied her apron, folding it neatly before placing it on the floor beside her.

"Well, I have to work to get paid, right? This job pays almost half of my rent, so I don't think I could quit if I wanted to." With a grunt she stood up, stretching her arms in front of her. "I guess I'll be heading back home. Where do you live?"

"About a mile east of here," Ling answered.

"In the opposite direction, in the middle of the city," replied Li.

"That's tough," Ling admitted, placing her hands on her hips. "But I guess safer with all those people around." Turning out the lights, the girls started down the hallway, stopping at the desk to sign their names and log the time.

"What do you mean, 'safer'?" Li asked once they were outside.

"Right! You're not from around here… The Triple Threat Triad. It's a gang made up of benders – shady business, thugs with money, inspiring fear in the bending and non-bending world," she listed off on her fingers.

"How do I recognize them?" Li stopped walking when Ling started moving in the opposite direction as her.

"Guess this is where we part ways," sighed Ling. "To answer your question: they usually hang out in groups of three, and each guy can bend a different element. Most of them look like bullies, so they'll usually stand out in a crowd." Li's face became thoughtful.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" Li nodded and Ling smiled back. "Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow, work buddy!" She waved and Li mimicked the movement, until both turned away to head back to their respective living quarters.

_Ling seems pretty nice – and just as talkative as Mrs. Fong. Maybe they're related? I guess in some ways that's good, since I'm better at listening. Then again, being around an extrovert may help improve my social skills… Good thing I'm not with the little benders; I don't think I have enough skill in earth bending to handle three elements at a time._ Li pulled out her map and picked up the pace, not wanting to stay out long on the unfamiliar streets at the late hour.

All the while on the sidewalk, she found herself glancing up whenever a group of three or more people passed, expecting to run into the apparently infamous Triad. At one point she walked by a conversing group who looked rugged, and might have been made up of ex-convicts, but she moved on without slowing to listen to any of their conversation.

_I wonder if any of the restaurants are still open past nine? _She stifled a yawn. _Maybe I should just head back to the apartment and get a big breakfast tomorrow? Yeah, I think I'll do that._

Crossing the street by _Mushi's Diner_, she gave the extravagant satomobile parked outside the apartment building a distasteful look.

_Someone doesn't have good judgment. Tacky thing._ Rolling her eyes, she trudged up the steps to the front door, knowing that in a few minutes she would be able to lie in bed and fall asleep. Pulling open the door, she was met by the sight of three tall men standing in front of the reception desk.

The man in front was towering over the old woman seated behind the desk, although she seemed to be holding her ground in whatever argument they were having. No one was smiling, and it was as the leader slammed a heavy fist on the desk that all eyes turned to Li.

_Three large men who look like bouncers, an old lady who is probably receiving a threat, an expensive but tasteless satomobile parked outside._ _I'm pretty sure I've just run into the Triple Threat Triad._ She stood rigid, her muscles tense and eyes moving back and forth between the other occupants of the room.

"Excuse me," she mumbled, wishing she were invisible as she took slow steps along the wall and towards the stairs.

"Hey, you." A deep voice broke the moment of silence.

Li froze, her eyes darting to the leader, taking in the pierced ears, green shirt and heavily muscled arms. _An earth bender, perhaps?_

"Me?" She managed to squeak out.

"You have money?"

"Leave her out of this," snapped the old land lady. "She's got nothing to do with this."

The man in green leaned against the desk and turned back to the old woman. "You don't give us the money, lady, and we'll start charging your residents. I told you, this is Triple Threat Triad territory, and we can kick anyone out who doesn't pay _our_ rent."

The old woman's shoulders sagged a bit, her words losing their edge. "I told you, I don't have the money. Leave the residents out of this; I promise I'll find a way to get you the money." The man in green straightened.

"You have until the end of the week," he warned.

Li slid a foot towards the first step of the stairs, but the man stopped her in her attempted escape with a cold glare.

"If you can't pay up by then," his eyes remained on her as he spoke, a cruel smirk twisting his features, "I can't guarantee the safety of you or anyone living here. I'm sure Lightning Bolt Zolt would love to hear your reason for not producing the agreed monetary amount by the usual date. Think about that."

The man moved away from the desk, and with a jerk of his head, the two men behind him followed as he exited the building.


	3. Captured

**I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed and/or put this story on their favorite/alert list! You make my day and encourage me to keep writing this! :)**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**.**

* * *

"Seriously?" Ling's eyes widened as Li finished recounting the events from the night before. A few children looked their way at Ling's sudden outburst. Ducking her head guiltily, she continued in a whisper. "What are you going to do?"

"What can I do?" Li shrugged miserably. "I moved in just a few days ago, and already it looks like I'm going to be forced to move out. I'd rather pack up my things and leave, but I don't know where I'll live, and at the same time, I feel bad about leaving an old lady to the mercy of those thugs." She picked up a brush, absentmindedly dipping it in ink and tracing random characters on the blank paper in front of her. Li folded her arms and watched the brush as it moved.

"What about the police? Chief Bei Fong is pretty good at taking down bag guys, and the Triple Thread Triad doesn't have metal benders."

"I talked to the land lady this morning; she slipped messages under all the residents' doors, warning of what might happen by the end of this week. She's too scared to notify the authorities; apparently, the Triad would know it was her, and there'd be no chance of her getting out alive." The brush dry, she set it down and mimicked Ling's arm-crossed pose. Ling looked up from the paper.

"So, back to the original question… Do you know anyone in Republic City you could live with? Maybe you could stay with them? Or _you_ could notify the police…?"

"I don't want to drag anyone innocent into this. Mr. Jing has an apartment, but it's not that big. The old lady's most likely going to be assassinated if the police get involved, whether it's me or her that informs them. At the same time, I don't want to get involved and be put on the Triad's hit list, or abandon a suffering old lady." Li raised her hands and rubbed her hair exasperatedly, releasing a frustrated sigh.

A couple of younger children looked up from their writing and giggled at her appearance as Li sent a fake smile their way. Ling laid a hand on Li's shoulder.

"As painful as this sounds, you need to relax."

"Easy for you to say," grumbled Li.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help," Ling shot back. Li's shoulders sagged before she perked up slightly.

"I have some money. I know it's definitely not as much as the Triad wants, but it might help that old lady. I won't give her all my money," she quickly explained, "because I still need to survive until I get my paycheck." Ling nodded slowly.

"Maybe you could ask the Avatar for help?" The teenager suggested.

"Huh?" She sent Ling a confused look, briefly questioning her new friend's sanity. Ling's expression was incredulous.

"You didn't read the news? The Avatar's in Republic City. She's supposed to be around our age, and rides a polar bear dog. Talk about hard to miss, huh?"

Li's thoughts drifted back to her first day in the city, remembering the giant animal and its rider plowing through the street.

"Only, I don't know where the Avatar is, or how to contact her. Anyway, I'll probably stay in the apartment until the end of the week and duck out when the Triad comes. And give the land lady some money. If there's a guy that gives me any trouble, it'll be strike first and ask questions later… No matter what I end up doing, I'm sure I'll regret it later." Picking up the paper in front of her and crushing it into a little ball, she threw it into the trashcan.

"So you were in a gang before? 'Strike first and ask questions later' and all that tough talk?" Ling raised an eyebrow in amusement. Li blushed.

"N-no, no!" She stuttered, waving her hands in front of her. "My dad is a member of the police force in my hometown. He'd _kill_ me if I ever tried to join a gang. That little phrase is what my dad told me to do if I ever got into serious trouble in a dark alley. It's better to fight back – in defense, at least – than to lie down and welcome death."

"I guess that would make sense," Ling mused in a sluggish voice, elbow on table and chin in hand. Her eyes drifted to the clock on the wall.

"Four o'clock, brushes down; show me what you learned today!" She declared, Li standing with her as the girls moved around the room, collecting the papers in front of the children.

* * *

The end of the week came faster than Li expected it to. Even pro-bending wasn't enough of a distraction from her worrisome thoughts.

Most of the residents at the apartments had left, but a few decided to take a risk and stay, having nowhere else to live. Li's afternoon escape was delayed when one of the residents asked her to help carry his belongings out of his room, having decided to flee at the last minute. Having brought down the heavier suitcases and belongings and packed them in a satomobile parked outside, the man thanked Li, reasoning he could take out the last couple of bags.

Nodding in agreement, Li quickly went to her room and grabbed the envelope with the money she planned to give the land lady. The sun had already sunken halfway below the horizon when she looked out the window. Unsure of the time the Triple Threat Triad would come to fetch the money, she had decided to leave the apartment and stay out for several hours before returning.

Closing the door, a loud _thud_ came from below her. _Okay. I know that was _not_ my door._

Envelope clutched tightly, she moved to the window by the stairs, looking out at the evening street. _There's that tacky satomobile again. Shoot!_ She looked from the envelope in her hands to the satomobile in the street, indecisive, until another loud noise came from beneath her, followed by a voice.

Gathering up all the courage she could muster, she descended the stairs, adrenaline coursing through her veins. _Just give them the money and get out of there, before someone gets killed._ She told herself, making it to the bottom of the staircase.

The reception desk had been tipped over; the chair behind it had its legs snapped off from the impact of the larger piece of furniture. The land lady was on her knees in front of a group of men, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. Men dressed in blue, yellow, and green stood behind a crimson and gold clad man, who was addressing the old woman. The old woman's eyes flickered toward Li when she entered before settling back on the man standing over her.

"Hey, Boss," a man in blue spoke up, having followed the woman's straying glance. "We've got company."

Two big men in yellow approached Li, both of them frowning.

"Who are you?" The boss had turned his attention to her, his eyes narrowed.

"I live here," Li managed to explain, her throat dry. One of the men in yellow stepped forward and snatched the envelope out of her hands, opening it to reveal the money to the room's other inhabitants.

"I heard that the land lady needed some money, so I brought it. I know it's not enough," her voice quivered, and she realized that she was speaking faster. "But I hope it is enough for now. I don't want there to be any problems or for anyone to - ."

"Enough," the older man cut her off, as he nodded to the man holding the money. He tossed the wad of bills at his boss, who caught it, thumbing through it to discern the amount.

In her peripheral vision, Li noticed the apartment door at the end of the hall swing open, a dark figure stepping out of it. After a moment's pause the figure began silently moving closer to the reception room, more figures exiting the room behind them.

She couldn't tell who it was, but no one else noticed the figure, all eyes on either Li or the land lady. Although she made no move to stop them, her muscles began to tense as the group drew within ten feet of the reception room.

The boss opened his mouth to speak as the man in blue who had spotted Li looked into the hallway behind them. The man in yellow standing by Li reached for her arm, and the figures previously hidden in the hall sprang into action.

"Ambush!" Shouted the man in blue as a masked figure kicked him in the stomach.

The room was suddenly crowded with bodies; fire, lightening, and water shot over heads, as rocks flew in through the windows. Grunts and shouts mingled with the sound of braking glass.

Spinning on her heels, Li scrambled up the stairs, dodging the hand of the man in yellow. The room shook slightly as the wooden floor boards snapped, rocks jutting upward from the spot where she had been standing prior. A few seconds later came the sound of someone on the stairs, ascending fast. Something hit her right calf twice and her leg buckled, making her sprawl on the staircase.

Twisting around on her backside, she came face to face with one of the figures who had come from the hall, dressed in dark green and wearing a gas mask of sorts.

A hand came towards her neck, and with a gasp of surprise her arm came out to block it, just as the other hand came in. Squirming beneath the figure – whether they were male or female, she had no idea – she pulled away, the fist connecting with her shoulder instead, a numbing sensation spreading through the joint. Her good leg came up and connected with the person's calf, unbalancing them and resulting in a missed punch.

The hand she had blocked punched swiftly along the length of her arm, the limb temporarily failing to respond.

"Wait! Please!" A sharp blow came down on her neck, and her vision swam before fading into darkness.


	4. Bolin and the Equalists

**I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed or put this story on their alert/favorite list. You motivate me to continue updating – as do those of you who only read! ;)**

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* * *

When Li regained consciousness, she was surrounded by darkness, her wrists bound behind her back and a cloth gagging her. There was a muffled rumbling sound to her right and vibrations all around.

_Where am I?_ Her body leaned to the left and then swayed before stopping, the humming dying away after a few seconds. _A truck or something…?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when a short screech of rusting metal pierced the silence. Instantly alert, she jerked away when the blackness was illuminated with soft light from the unseen door beside her. When her eyes had adjusted to the light, she realized she wasn't alone in the room. Several other figures were sitting around her, all blinking at the intrusion.

Wide eyes watched as two masked figures – the same ones who had ambushed the apartments and abducted her – stepped into the small space, roughly pulling Li to her feet and leading her out of the back of the truck.

A labyrinth of tunnels surrounded them, naked bulbs lining each stone corridor. There was no place in Republic City, to Li's knowledge, that was so large and yet so quiet. _Are we under the water? It's too big to be a sewer; maybe an abandoned mine?_

Wherever they were, the atmosphere was not very comforting. A shadow was cast in a corridor on the right, its maker going unseen.

"This way," a male voice grunted in Li's ear, startling her out of her observations.

She was led around the truck by the masked figures and made to sit in a mechanical cart that resembled an incomplete train car. Railroad tracks disappeared around the corner in front of the cart.

Seconds later she was joined by two more people, both bound and gagged. There was a shuffling noise behind her, but she dared not turn around to see who it was for fear of the consequences.

Her eyes flickered to the person sitting next to her, whose panicked green eyes met hers. He looked to be around her age, about the same height, and possessing an athletic build.

Li's eyes turned back towards the front when a masked person stepped up beside her, no doubt monitoring her and her companions. The cart gave a small lurch before sliding forward smoothly at a decent pace, another masked figure working the controls.

After a few minutes of twisting and turning through tunnels, the transport came to a stop. When the driver had switched off the motor, he looked over his shoulder and gave a significant nod.

The masked figure beside Li moved towards her, and she felt the familiar pressure on her neck before she lost consciousness again.

* * *

Li rolled onto her side and was greeted by the face of the teenager who had been sitting next to her on the cart, at proximity from her face that was too close for comfort.

"Wah?" She pulled away and the boy flinched back, hands raised defensively.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" He whispered furiously, looking as if he expected to be punched. "I… Didn't know if you were dead?" He finished lamely.

Li sat up, only for her head to hit the bed frame above her. "Ow," she hissed, glaring at the bunk overhead. Looking around to see another set of bunk beds in the room and a row of bars that made up one wall, it was easy to discern that she was in a prison cell.

Realizing that he wasn't going to be attacked by the awoken female, the teenager visibly relaxed.

"You thought I was dead?" Li asked, and the boy tensed again.

"Well, not really… It's just that, I didn't recognize you, and it's kind of creepy being the only person awake in here – besides that guy." His eyes shifted back and forth nervously before nodding towards the bars of the cell.

Li inconspicuously followed his nod with her eyes to find that someone was watching her from the other side of the bars. It was another masked person, a slender kali stick in their hand.

There was sudden movement in her peripheral vision, and she looked behind the boy to see someone lying on the bunk across from her. "Who…?"

"Lightning Bolt Zolt and some of his henchmen," the boy's complexion seemed to pale as he spoke. "T-the guards removed our gags and he tried to get out. He was able to bend some of their attacks, but ended up getting overtaken by number. I don't think the Equalists have any qualms about using force."

Li felt uncomfortable under the watch of the guard, the goggles of the mask never leaving the two of them. It was likely that there was more than one around, the others probably hiding in the shadows. She angled her back towards his stare, feeling better when she couldn't see him watching.

"Sooo, are you with the Triple Threat Triad then?" The teenager asked as casually as he could, although the uneasiness in his voice was all too clear. Li held back a grin; he was probably a terrible liar.

"No," she answered carefully. "I'm new to Republic City. I was at my apartment when the Triad came to collect from the landlady." Her arms were beginning to stiffen in their position, and she did her best to stretch them behind her, as if trying to ease the tension in the air.

"I'm not with the Triad either," the boy admitted softly, sitting down on the floor in front of her. "My brother and I need money to enter the Pro-Bending Finals, and an old acquaintance offered me a job as a temporary muscle man for some money." He sighed and looked down at his crossed legs. "I didn't know it was going to be _this_ dangerous."

Not sure what she could say to make him feel better about his decision, Li tried going off on a topic of interest. "You're going to the Pro-Bending Finals? That's impressive." She swung her legs awkwardly over the side of the bed, scraping the soles of her boots over the floor. It was hard to keep a conversation going with a boy. All of her friends at home were girls, so she didn't have much experience in comfortably conversing with someone of the opposite sex.

"I like Pro-Bending too; my dad even got me tickets to the final match." A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "So are you on team? Like, an official member or something?"

The boy grinned, his fear gone for a moment. "Yeah; I'm a member of the Fire Ferrets. Heard the name Bolin on the radio before?"

"You? You're Bolin?" Li could barely contain her surprise and keep the blush off her cheeks. She had seen the name plenty of times in the newspaper. The earth bender and his fire bending brother Mako were famous rookies who had entered the Pro-Bending world overnight. They were instantly labeled prodigies by benders and non-benders alike, and had gained a large fan base – especially among females.

Bolin took in her awed expression with pride. "I get that a lot," he boasted. "I'm sure you've read all about me. What about you?" It was obvious he enjoyed the attention, and he wasn't wrong when he had said she'd probably read everything about him. The same could have been said for her about every Pro-Bending player.

"I'm Li." She gave a polite nod which he returned, neither of them able to formally shake hands. Now that she knew who he was, she found it harder to look him in the face when speaking. The same thing would probably happen were she to meet Asami Sato again.

"Nice to meet you," Bolin replied, his grin still in place. The exact same words were going through Li's mind as he said them. Knowing someone in this creepy prison made the experience not as lonely or unpleasant.

"I don't want to ruin the mood," Li started, lowering her voice and wringing her bound hands together nervously, "but do you know who these guys are?"

The grin fell from Bolin's face, and he glanced in the direction of the guard. "You don't know - ? Right, new in town," he reminded himself. "They're Equalists: non-benders who are against those of us who can bend. They have some propaganda stands and rallies around the city every so often, but this…" Again, he glanced towards the guard. "I've never heard of them abducting benders before. I hope Mako and Korra come and get us out of here," he mumbled, rocking back and forth slightly.

"Will they let us out if we're not benders?" Li whispered hopefully.

Bolin straightened, confusion written on his face. "Wait, you're not a bender?" It came out louder than he intended, and he ducked his head at the volume.

Li's cheeks turned a light pink as she shook her head. "No, not really. I have earth bending in my blood, but I can't remember the last time I used it. Actually, I don't even know if I could anymore – I never learned how." She stopped swinging her legs and stared down at her feet, waiting for the embarrassment to leave her face.

"How could you not?" Bolin asked incredulously. "If I could bend an element, I don't think I'd be able to stop myself."

"Speak for yourself," Li let out a humorless chuckle. "You bend for a living. I never needed it, and my family supported that kind of strength – especially my dad, who thinks it makes a person tougher." Her expression turned solemn. "So do you think they'd let me out?"

Bolin didn't look very confident as his bit his lower lip.

"I'd find some help to come get you out too," she quickly assured him. His face looked like that of a pet about to be abandoned.

"You can try and reason with them," he said slowly, "but I don't know if they'll listen or let you out. You might be moved to another prison cell." His head dropped dramatically. "That sounds so depressing," he moaned.

"Whaz happenin?" A groggy voice slurred close by. Li and Bolin stiffened and turned to the bunk across from them.

"Zolt's waking up again," Bolin almost whined. "I'd stay away from him if I were you. If he finds out you're not a bender," his eyes widened and he shook his head warningly.

_Yeah, I get it. He'd probably attack me,_ Li finished in her head.

The older man on the bed sat up, noticing the bunk above him just in time to avoid hitting his head like Li had. He glared through the bars at the guard, who lightly tapped the weapon against his chest, as if reminding the gang leader what had happened earlier. Lightning Bolt Zolt sneered at the masked person before turning his attention to the room's other inhabitants.

"Wake up, Sid!" He snapped at whoever was above Li's head. There was a grunt as a man sleepily leaned over the edge of the mattress.

"What?" It was the same man in yellow who had snatched Li's money at the apartments.

"Where are the others?" Zolt demanded, to which Sid replied by pointing at the bunk over his boss' mattress.

"And I think some got put in a different cell," the waking man added.

"Some help you were, kid," Zolt growled at Bolin, who stood up and shuffled away from the angry man.

"You!" Apparently Zolt had just recognized her from the apartments. "You were with that old lady who couldn't pay up." He smirked. "When I'm outta here, don't think that you can escape so easily too. Me and the boys'll be paying you a visit real soon."

Li tensed, expecting the man or one of his henchmen to lash out at her. In their current predicament, if a fight broke out, the odds were stacked in the Triad's favor.

"Come to think of it," the older man grinned viciously, "we've got our own cage for a match right here. How about it, girl?"

"No," Li swallowed, her voice barely audible. She stood up when Zolt took a step towards her, ready to defend herself if necessary. Bolin stepped in between her and the boss.

"What's this? Last time I checked you worked for me, kid. Step aside," he threatened. Bolin didn't back down, his posture surprisingly relaxed.

The guard outside took a step towards their cell. "Move away from each other," he warned, electricity sparking at one end of the stick.

No one moved, both sides waiting for the other to comply first.

Zolt turned toward the guard with a smirk. "Sorry pal, I just need to teach this brat and her friend a lesson about butting in to other people's business." He turned his attention back to Li. The man in yellow who had been on the bed above her jumped down, along with two others from the bed opposite, backing her and Bolin against the wall.

"Call for reinforcements!" The guard shouted to someone outside their field of vision.

Zolt swung his leg upward, faster than most people his age could manage, and a burst of flames came at the teenagers. Li dodged right and Bolin left as the fire blackened the wall where they had been standing.

Bolin stomped the floor with his right foot and shifted it forward towards two men in blue, the floor in front of him moving upward before stopping at a few inches' height. "Oh man, metal?" Bolin cried when it was apparent that his earth bending wasn't enough to breach the floor's defense.

Zolt sent a high then low kick Li's way, flames sprouting from his foot.

_Where are the guards when you need them?_ Li wondered as she ducked to avoid the higher burst of flames. "Ah!" The lower kick's flames swept past her, singing the clothing on her left arm. In her evasion maneuvers, she had been backed into a corner.

Behind Zolt came a clacking noise and the squeak of metal hinges, but the man paid it no mind as his leg came up with the intention of finishing the fight.

Li moved forward, intending to get out of the corner and create as little space between them as possible to limit his attacks. Swinging her leg, she blocked his kick with her own, the fire dissipating around his foot before the strike could be completed.

Recovering faster than she expected, his blocked leg pushed forward to slam into her stomach. Out of reflex she bent forward, stumbling backwards to try and regain her balance as his next blow connected with the right side of her jaw.

"Enough. This time we're increasing the voltage," an unfamiliar, rough voice declared as Li fell on her back.

"Boss!" Zolt looked over his shoulder at the exclamation, just as two kali sticks pressed into his neck and back, electricity running down their length and through his body. For a moment he struggled with the attack, a few charges extending sporadically from his fingertips as he tried to redirect it. Several seconds of struggling later the older man collapsed, conscious but breathing heavily.

The man who had electrocuted Zolt was dressed in a similar fashion to the guards, but instead wore only a pair of goggles to cover his face, revealing his unusually long black mustache. The man looked from Zolt, who grunted as he unsuccessfully attempted to stand, to Li, who rolled to her side with a wince.

"Lieutenant." A calm voice came from behind the man with the mustache.

"What would you have us do with Lightning Bolt Zolt?" Questioned the Lieutenant as he stepped aside for the man behind him to survey the situation.

A white mask moved from Bolin to the two men on the floor, the men in yellow facing the teenager, and then to Zolt and Li. As the mask momentarily stopped on her, a cold feeling ran through Li's body. It took all of her will power to look at the mask before her courage failed, and her eyes darted away.

"It would seem that our guest has not learned to cooperate with others," remarked the man in the mask, whose gaze had returned to Zolt.

"Amon, you scum!" The old man spat, venom dripping in his voice as he managed to get to his knees. "You'll pay for this! No one who messes with the Triple Threat Triad gets away with it." Several masked people entered the room and became separating the occupants from one another, two hauling Zolt up by his elbows.

Amon did not reply to the threat, and instead spoke to the Lieutenant. "Separate them. Put Zolt in his own cell." Realizing he was being ignored, the Triad boss scowled, muttering curses under his breath.

"Thank you," whispered Li to the feminine figure that helped her to her feet, the person momentarily hesitating at her words. The action did not go unnoticed by Zolt.

"You were the one who told the Equalists about us, weren't you?" He accused.

Li would have reminded him that she was locked in a cell as well, but she doubted it would change anything. As horrible as it sounded, she felt safer with her abductors than with the Triad's leader.

Two masked men pulled Zolt toward the cell door, while a third holding kali sticks at his back and neck. "When I get out, you're _dead_." He flashed a smile that promised pain at Li, who quickly looked away.

"Just wait, Amon. Your fate will be the same as hers!" Zolt shouted as he was dragged out of the cell, the Lieutenant trailing behind.

"The rest of the Triad will stay in here." Amon looked between Bolin and Li. "Move the Pro-Bender and the girl to another cell." Two guards grabbed Bolin, leading him away, while the same female who had helped Li earlier put a secure hand on her shoulder, moving to follow the others.

"Wait." Amon stopped them at the cell door, and Bolin threw a worried look over his shoulder before he was ushered down the hallway with the guards.

Li immediately panicked. Her posture stiffened and she broke out into a cold sweat under the observation of the masked man.

One of his hands reached for her face, and she eyed it warily, unconsciously leaning back a little. His fingers touched her jaw, and she winced at the pain under their pressure.

When it became apparent that he wasn't strangling her and was more than likely looking at the large bruise forming on her jaw, she raised her eyes to the dark eye holes of his mask. The longer she stared, the more she realized that she could faintly see his eyes, although they did not meet hers.

His hand dropped from her face. "Do something about her face." He stepped away from the pair, letting them pass.

Only when Amon was out of sight did Li allow her shoulders to sag. _I don't know how the Equalists can remain so calm and content under his leadership. Or maybe they're just as terrified of him as I am?_Despite leaving his presence behind, she imagined that it was not the last time she would meet the Equalist leader.


	5. Isolation

**A special thank you and plate of muffins to all of my reviewers so far: Queen of the Red Skittle, The Weeknd, irok2hard, Silver Katsuyami, hidansgirl1234, chibi, soundnebula, and galita! Your comments keep me going on this story and motivate me to update sooner! I also appreciate you silent readers and those who have put this story on their favorite/alert list. ^-^ You guys make my day!**

**Please read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**.**

* * *

A few gentle pokes at her jaw, and Li was sure it was swelling and bruised. "At least it's not broken," she mused glumly, pushing a spoon full of soup into her mouth. It hurt enough to move her mouth, so she was glad that the soup was only broth and noodles, and not something chewy.

Bolin nodded at her statement, wolfing down the soup like it was the last meal he would ever eat.

Their captors had been kind enough to undo their bonds, allowing them to eat without having to be spoon-fed like babies. It was a welcome relief for both teenagers.

When they had finished their bowls, they placed them by the door of the cell as the guard had instructed. Seeing as the two of them weren't causing trouble, the guard left their wrists unbound after taking away the dishes.

Another guard handed Li a damp cloth for her face. She gave a content sigh as she pressed the cold fabric to the swelling, the pain beginning to ebb almost instantly.

"Too bad no one friendly here is a water bender. They could probably heal that," Bolin pointed out, slouching at the foot of the bed they were both sitting on.

"Well, I'm thankful that I have this at least," Li mumbled, tapping a finger against the damp cloth.

It puzzled her why Amon had wanted her healed. _We're prisoners, so why would he want us to be in good condition? He must have something planned for us… Bolin said the Equalists are against benders._

She stiffened at the conclusion she came to. _Is he going to kill us? A public execution, maybe?_

Some of the tension left her shoulders as she forced herself to relax. _No, no, he couldn't do that. He'd have an army of benders retaliate, and I'd place my bets on the benders in a fight._

"What are you thinking?" Bolin asked, making Li jump. She had been quiet for a while, and a frown had begun to work its way onto her face.

"Um…" She didn't want to seem so pessimistic, so she decided to lie. "I was just thinking about my family. They'd probably freak out if they knew I was in a place like this." A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"So they're the really worrisome type?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. My dad's a member of the police, so he'd probably bust in here and try and take out anyone who got in his way. He's usually the peace-maker, but he can be scary when he wants to be." The idea brought out a small but sincere chuckle.

No one messed with her father and his family or friends and got away with it. He was a force to be reckoned with when he was serious, although you wouldn't think so at first glance. Most of the time he wore a goofy smile and a lazy expression, going for the 'big and friendly giant' look. _Appearances can be deceiving._

"Mako can be like that too," Bolin smiled. "At least when he's not trying to act all cool and serious."

"From what I've read, you guys are pretty different personality wise. I've never met your brother, but you seem to be like black and white, polar opposites. I suppose that's what makes you guys good a Pro-Bending." Bolin's raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Well, I mean, if you guys were exactly alike, then it would be easy to take both of you out in a match," Li tried to explain. "You'd fall for the same tricks and you'd use the same moves, even if your elements are different." She turned her head slightly as an embarrassed blush crept onto her cheeks, unsure if what she was saying made sense or not.

"If we ever get out of here, you can meet my brother," offered Bolin. "Find out if the stories are true," he said in a dramatic voice, as if trying to leave her in suspense.

Li's eyes flickered in his direction before landing on her lap, her shy nature coming back. "That's not necessary," she tried to find the words in her head. "I don't… We just met, so I feel like… I wouldn't be getting in the way?"

"Of course not! We're friendly people; although, Mako will probably be just as nonchalant as ever," he added. "And we've also got a new team member! She's really awesome; maybe you could meet her too? If we can get the money, I think we'll win the championship this year." The teenager rambled on about the Fire Ferrets, now completely engrossed with the subject.

The more he spoke, the more Li realized how tired she was. The adrenaline from earlier had left her feeling lethargic and weary. _What time is it anyway? Past midnight I'm sure._ She took the cloth from her face and laid it on her knee, returning her attention to companion.

For a good half hour Bolin continued talking – proving the rumors true about him being quite the extrovert – before he noticed Li's eyelids beginning to lower. "Oh, sorry, I kind of got carried away, didn't I?" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, looking apologetic.

"I don't really mind," Li admitted through half-lidded eyes. "It's interesting listening to someone whom I've never met. Interesting in a good way," she assured him.

Bolin pushed himself off the bed and moved to the one opposite hers. "I guess it has been a long day, and I don't know what's in store for us tomorrow." Anxiety cracked his voice, even though he did a fair job of trying to hide it.

Li tossed the folded cloth to the ground and rolled over to face the wall. She'd sleep better if she did not see someone watching her.

"Good-night," she heard Bolin say a few feet away as he tried to get comfortable on the stiff mattress.

"Good-night," she whispered back. With luck, sleep would come soon, and hopefully keep masked men and fire bending criminals out of her dreams.

* * *

Li opened her eyes at the sound of approaching footsteps. Yawning, she rolled over to face Bolin, who was sleeping soundly. _Lucky._ The periods when she had managed to sleep seemed much shorter than those when she was awake.

A group of masked guards passed their cell, and Li watched them warily. They didn't seem to be in a rush, so the Triad members must have been cooperating.

Four of those passing stopped at their cell, and Li slipped off the bed, adrenaline beginning to pulse through her veins again. It was an unwanted but uncontrollable reaction every time the masked figures approached her.

"Bolin." Li hissed as she made her way over to the sleeping young man, solidly poking him on the shoulder.

He startled awake, his fist stopping inches from her face. "Ah! Sorry! I thought you were – "

Li shook her head and gave a nod in the direction of the opening cell door. Bolin moved off the bed to stand beside her as the guards stepped toward them. Li's breath hitched.

"Put the boy with the others." It was Amon who spoke, his voice just as dark as his silhouette that blocked the doorway behind the guards. He looked from Bolin to Li. "Leave the girl here; she'll be taken care of later."

"Bolin," Li whispered as she moved closer to the Pro-Bender. _They're going to separate us again? Why? We haven't been causing trouble! Wait, he said I'd be taken care of later. What's going to happen to Bolin _now_?_

"It's – it's going to be okay, Li," Bolin tried to assure her, although he was inching back from the guards as well.

Two masked men moved in to create space between the teenagers, a third reaching for Bolin's wrists to tie them behind his back. The fourth guard pulled out a kali stick, pointing it warningly in Li's direction.

"Li – " Bolin struggled, panic on his face as he looked around the guards to see Li backing toward a wall.

"Bolin!" Her voice had gone up an octave, and the heart in her chest continued to beat faster with every second.

"Leave her alone!" Bolin shouted as he felt the familiar constricting pressure on his wrists.

One of the guards monitoring him pulled out a kali stick as well, thinking he was going to put up a fight.

Bolin pulled away from the weapon, looking desperately at the unmoving man in the doorway. He recalled a previous conversation with Li, as he tried to think of a way out. "Please! Amon, she's not a bender!"

The guard with the stick pushed the weapon into his shoulder blade, electricity enveloping him for a few seconds before the weapon was pulled away. Bolin grunted and dropped onto one knee, trying to fight the effects of the attack.

Amon gave no sign that he had heard what Bolin said, and moved out of the way as the Pro-Bender was hauled up and pushed out of the cell.

"Bolin!" Cried Li, stepping forward to try and reach for him, just as a stick blocked her way. _No! I don't want to be left alone here!_

The unarmed guard made a grab for her arm and she pulled away, just as the stick swung at her. Under pressure and fear of isolation, the defensive instinct that came from training with her father took over.

Li moved in toward the armed guard and grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the weapon, her right elbow connecting sharply with his chest before she kicked in his knee, simultaneously pulling the weapon out of his hand and turning it on him.

The guard gave a pained cry, his body shaking at the electricity ran through him. He dropped to the ground.

Now she was fighting weaponless Equalists. The odds should be in her favor. Truth be told, she wasn't sure where she would go from here if she managed to get out of this cell – but she had to get out first.

Amon moved towards her, along with the weaponless guard. The guard pulled something from his belt and threw it at her chest, the object spinning as it came.

She ducked but felt something pull her legs together; Amon had thrown something too. Unfortunately they hadn't been weaponless after all.

A series of quick punches to her legs brought her to the ground, her legs numbing. Unwilling to give up her weapon, she jabbed the stick at the masked guard, missing his shoulder by inches.

Despite her legs being bound and numb, she realized she could move them. _Chi blocking?_ Her father had told her about this technique, and that it was more effective on benders. But the important thing to remember was that it was only temporary. _And I'm not a _regular _bender, which means I can still fight._ _Looks like limiting my bending use was a good idea after all._

Silently thanking her parents, she slapped away the punches that came at her weapon arm. She couldn't keep fighting with her legs bound like they were.

As she rolled onto her knees, the guard ran a line of punches along her side, and her grip on the kali stick loosened. _Last chance,_ she thought as she threw the rod at the guard's chest with all the strength she could muster.

The man fumbled to catch the weapon and Li pulled herself forward, grabbing the ankle closest to her with her good arm and shoving her shoulder just below his knee.

Her opponent had gotten a grip on the stick, but taken his attention off of Li in the process. With his poor stance he toppled backwards easily, landing hard.

Something dark moved to Li's left and she twisted on her stomach to see what it was. Sharp and precise blows rained down the length of her back. _I forgot about Amon,_ she realized with a sinking feeling. The muscles in her neck failed to respond as she tried to see the figures behind her.

A pair of feet walked around her until they stopped in front of her face.

The guard she had knocked over got back on his feet and moved to his partner who had not regained consciousness. Checking his pulse to make sure he was still alive, he replaced the kali stick on the man's belt before pulling him over his shoulder, trembling slightly under the weight of the larger man.

"Take him back and see that he's awake within the hour. Come and get me if he isn't." Amon ordered as the guard shuffled out as fast as possible to be rid of the heavy burden.

"Resisting was not wise." Amon commented as he looked down on Li, all the more imposing because she was lying paralyzed on the floor while his figure towered over her. "You're wasting your energy trying to get out of here."

Li slowly moved her hands to her shoulders and made as if to push herself up.

"Stay still."

Li froze as a wave of pain rippled down her back from her shoulders. The effects of his chi blocking seemed worse than that of the guard's, the numbness in her limbs lasting longer and the pain increasing the more she moved. She had no choice but to relax her posture.

"What – what's going to happen to Bolin?" She ventured, trying to keep her voice steady.

"He will be equalized." Amon turned away.

Li's face twisted in confusion. "What?" She had no idea what 'equalized' meant, but it didn't sound good.

Amon looked over his shoulder at her, and she could imagine him smiling behind the mask. "His bending will be taken away. Permanently." His eyes stayed on her, observing her reaction.

Li's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You can't! You can't do that to him!" She pushed herself until she was propped on her elbows, trying to ignore the growing discomfort.

"Do not worry. You're fate will be the same as his." Amon turned back to the door, walking away from her. He bent to pick up the discarded cloth at the head of her bed before exiting the cell.

"I'm not a bender!" Li all but screamed, anger burning in her chest. The energy left her as she dropped back onto her stomach, panting heavily. For a moment she wished she could metal bend, wanting nothing more than to impale the masked man on the bars of the cell.

The door shut with a clang, a key twisting in its lock before being returned to its owner's pocket.

Li shut her eyes tight to keep the tears from leaking out. Bolin was gone, about to lose his bending abilities, and she was trapped in this cell alone.

Her jaw hurt as she clenched it, and she briefly wondered if it had started swelling again. _I have to get out of here,_ she told herself, hands making fists. _I hope Bolin manages to escape with his bending. Someone has to warn Republic City about Amon and his abilities._

She opened her eyes, determination in her gaze as it moved from the bars to the guard standing outside. _He can't take away the bending of innocent people who've done nothing wrong. _Her thoughts went to the Triad and the group of guards that had passed the cell earlier. _Amon must intend to take away their bending as well. _

She felt a little guilty for her next thought. _They deserve it. I can't say that I would feel bad if they lost their bending after what they have done._

Inhaling deeply, she let out a shaking breath and rolled onto her side. The pain in her back was gradually leaving. _I have to get through this._ Her eyes traveled to the ceiling. _Someone, please, get me out of here._

* * *

"You called for me?" The Lieutenant closed the door behind him, his eyes scanning over the mechanical blueprints pinned to the wall before coming to rest on the hooded figure standing in front of them. Amon's back was to him, his hood wrinkling slightly as his head turned beneath it.

"All of tonight's preparations have been taken care of?"

"Yes." He cleared his throat, his brow tilting into a frown. "But, if I may ask, why didn't you have the girl brought out with the rest of them?"

"She is visibly injured." Amon did not hesitate to answer. "We are not some brutal force that tortures those whom we have captured. Do you think those who attend the rally will feel resolve or sympathy, if those on the stage are marked with bruises and scars before their bending is taken?" Knowing the question was rhetorical, the Lieutenant gave to response.

"Equalist ideals of a world without bending… We are a solution, not a threat, Lieutenant. The people will not side with war mongers or oppressors."

The Lieutenant nodded. "I understand."

Amon turned his back to the blueprints and faced the older man. "But the girl is a concern of mine."

"What would you have me do?"

"Tomorrow, I want you to take a few of Equalists out and gather information on her."

The Lieutenant crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "Is there something in particular you're looking for?"

"Start your investigation at the location where you picked up Zolt. You'll most likely find some leads there." His eyes narrowed behind the mask. "She may not be a bender."

The Lieutenant blinked, the only sign that showed he was surprised. "That's a serious error for one to make, Amon."

"I am aware."

The men stood in silence for a few moments. The situation needed to be approached with caution.

The girl's bending/non-bending background was something that needed to be addressed. If she wasn't a bender and was released, the growing reputation and support of the Equalists could be brought under fire. This was all, of course, depending on how she would react if she really was a non-bender. In the worst case scenario, she would go to Chief Bei Fong and accuse them of kidnapping, and possible mistreatment or abuse.

The Lieutenant uncrossed his arms and gave a nod to his superior. "I will look into it."


	6. Innocence

**A big thank you to irok2hard, hidansgirl1234, and galita for the reviews! I'm glad you all like the story so far, and I have to give you credit for motivating me to update faster than I usually do! Your comments are greatly appreciated!**

**I have to say that this chapter isn't quite as exciting (in my opinion) as the others, but nevertheless, it is important. Please tell me if anyone seems OOC, as I want to keep all canon characters as in-character as possible. **

**Read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own _The Legend of Korra_.**

* * *

After calming down and remaining motionless for several long minutes, Li found that the pain in her back had dissipated enough for her to sit up. Her legs were feeling better as well, although uncomfortable with the bola wrapped around her calves.

With a frustrated sigh, she went to work untangling the cord.

The room was certainly much quieter now that she was alone. On most occasions she preferred solitude, but this was an exception.

As she finished freeing her legs, someone stopped in front of the cell door. Overcoming her reluctance, she looked their way to see who it was and what they wanted.

The masked figure held out a cloth like the ones she had been using since Zolt's outburst.

_I guess my jaw still looks painful._ She stood up and warily approached the bars, snatching the damp cloth from the extended hand. _One moment they're threatening me and the next they're acting like decent human beings. Make up your minds already!_

Along with healing her face, it was strange that the Equalists had not retied her wrists following the encounter with Amon. But she wasn't going to complain and make herself less comfortable on purpose.

Pressing the cloth to her face, she went to her bed and lied on her back, staring at the underside of the bed above her.

She couldn't escape now – there weren't any opportunities. Her best chances of getting out were if the Equalists released her, someone from the outside brought the police here, or if the cell door was accidentally left unlocked. The first option wasn't likely to happen, and it was doubtful the police knew where she was. So far, the only times the door had opened had been for serving meals and granting access for her unwanted visitors.

_I just have to be patient,_ Li assured herself, adjusting the cloth on her face. _Right now I need to get my strength back._ _If, or rather, when, Amon comes back and tries to take away my pretty-much-nonexistent-bending, I need to be ready to defend myself._

She frowned at her planned-out fate, as stated by the Equalist leader. _What would happen if Amon tried to take the bending of someone who couldn't bend? Would he instead take away their life?_ The thought was thrown out a second later. _No, that's impossible. You can't kill a person like that. But how could Amon have that sort of power; I thought it was unique to the Avatar?_

None of it made sense, and she gave up on trying to find an explanation on her own. She didn't have enough information to form hypotheses with anyway.

Closing her eyes, she listened to the silence, hoping it would be broken by a miraculous police raid.

* * *

Amon turned as the Lieutenant entered the room, a folder and newspaper in his hands. "You found something?" He asked while eying the items.

The Lieutenant did not reply as he flipped open the folder on the table in front of him, sifting through its contents, his expression somber. Pulling out the paper he was looking for, he slid it towards his superior.

Amon stepped up to the table and picked up the paper, reading over its contents with a critical eye.

"Her name is Li Shen. She turns nineteen this year and comes from a small agricultural town about a day's journey from here. She only recently moved to Republic City – less than a week ago, according to the land lady at the apartments." Amon looked up from his silent reading, and the Lieutenant met his gaze.

"She has a job at a school near the port. Her employer said she works with the non-bending children."

The mask turned back towards the paper.

"What you're reading is a copy of her resume." The Lieutenant's eyes narrowed. "The information we gathered shows no evidence of her being a bender." The older man crossed his arms and let the gravity of his words sink in.

"How did you get this information?" Amon questioned evenly, lowering the resume and pushing it back towards the folder.

"That's the other matter I was going to bring up," replied the Lieutenant. He unfolded the newspaper, opening it to a page containing several headshots, all with the word 'Missing' printed underneath them. On the top right was a photograph of the young woman in the cell.

"This is yesterday's paper," the Lieutenant explained. "It is also the reason why Cho and I were so easily able to gather information – aside from using Cho's badge." Having an Equalist who was a detective under the police force came in handy, despite its risks.

"While speaking with Li's employer, he mentioned that one of her co-workers was concerned when she failed to show up for work the next day, and contacted the police the day after that. He didn't know the details, but he was certain the Triad was involved. The article underneath her picture also suspects the group."

"She must have believed something was going to happen, and told her co-worker," Amon reasoned. The Lieutenant nodded, having reached the same conclusion.

"As she is not involved with the Equalists, she did not know our forces would be at the apartments that evening. Were she on good terms with the Triad, she would not have bothered saying anything to her co-worker." Amon clasped his hands behind his back, a silent signal of thought.

It seemed the young woman's exclamation was indeed the truth. However, the team that had taken in Zolt reported seeing money passed from the teenager to a Triad member. It was suspicious, but the evidence that had just been presented was in her favor regarding her innocence.

The second-in-command knew what was going through his leader's head. "We can't keep her locked in here," he spoke softly, voicing Amon's thoughts aloud.

When his leader remained quiet, he leaned forward and gathered up the newspaper and folder, tucking them under his arm. "You'll have to explain things to her."

* * *

Fire. There was fire everywhere. Yellow and orange flames danced from one crop to another, lighting up the darkness. There was no end to the burning landscape.

The earth underfoot was black and rough, and above the sound of shouting and crying was the crackling of the greedily engulfing fire.

Li fell onto her backside, ash dispersing around her and making her eyes water. She couldn't move, the fear and awe kept her in place. Unable to look away from the scene of destruction, she watched, entranced, as the flames drew closer to her.

A dark shape moved in front of her, and suddenly she was lifted off the ground, her head pressed against someone's chest. The sound of a pounding heart echoed in her head, eventually drowning out all other noises.

The fire's spell broken, she shut her eyes tightly to invite the darkness.

Li opened her eyes again and found herself looking at the empty bunk bed on the opposite side of the room, oxygen rushing in and out of her lungs.

_Just a dream. Nothing but a nightmare._ She blinked several times to clarify that this was reality. _It's been so long since I last dreamt of that night._

Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes before reaching for her hair. At least two days had passed since her arrival, and she had not showered once. Dissuaded by this observation, she dropped her hand from her head and resisted the urge to smell her shirt.

Crossing her legs, she rested her elbows on her knees and her chin on her knuckles. Captivity was so much worse when there was nothing to do – not that she had ever been in a prison before, or had any experiences to compare this to. _But at least you're not getting beat up or dying,_ she told herself.

Trying to take her mind off of the negative situation she was in, she brought her thoughts to a more positive subject.

She still hadn't learned all the names of the children in the class she and Ling shared. The troublemakers she knew, as their names were called too many times to count every day. The twins still had her stumped, and it didn't help that they tried to fool her every time she made a guess as to who was who. It was infuriating to her, but amused them greatly.

A metallic _clack_ broke the quiet.

Li swiftly turned to the bars, not having realized that there was another presence aside from the usual guard. _No, that's not right. I don't see the guard?_

The guard had not made a sound as he left, nor had the visitor when he arrived.

Although she attempted to remain calm, her chest was rising and falling too quickly for her to be considered relaxed. It was just her and the Equalist leader.

_He's come to try and take away my bending_, she assumed, mind racing. _I don't think I could beat him in a fight. He's older, bigger, and probably more experienced._

Amon entered the cell and stopped a few feet from her bed, hands resting by his sides.

Li became conscious of her own hands, and realized they were gripping the bed sheets tightly. She slowly unclenched them, hoping in vain that Amon hadn't noticed. _Wait for him to make the first move; don't be the aggressor. It'll be self-defense._

"You're not a bender." His voice came out menacing (did it ever change?), but his statement caught her off guard. She had expected something more along the lines of, "It's time to take away your bending," or "Any last requests?", but the words filled her with a spark of hope.

"No, I'm not a bender." The sound of her voice was small to her own ears, and she wondered how Amon could hear it. Although she knew he hadn't posed a question, she thought it best to reiterate that he was _wrong_ in thinking she was a bender.

"I was told you gave money to the Triad. What is your relationship with them?"

Knowing she was on thin ice, Li chose her words carefully. "I did give them money, but that was for my safety and that of the land lady – it wasn't enough." When Amon did not reply to this, she figured he expected a more detailed answer.

For the next few minutes Li summarized everything that had happened since the Triad showed up for payment at the beginning of the week. However, Ling went unnamed, and she kept a few other minor details out of the story. Innocent people didn't need to be dragged into this, and she did not want the Equalist leader to know everything about her.

"One of the Triad members attempted to catch me when I ran, but an Equalist interfered." She was almost finished recounting the events when the importance of the sentence dawned on her. _If the Equalists hadn't been there, I would have been kidnapped by the Triad, and maybe even killed. I never thought of it like that, but the Equalists actually _saved_ me – even if they did lock me in this cell._

"Another Equalist must have thought I was with the Triad and trying to escape. Because your followers were fighting with the gang and I had never seen them before, I believed them to be in league with the police. But when one of them stopped me on the stairs, I got scared and fought back." The entire recollection had been given while Li was staring at Amon's feet. A few times she had tried lifting her gaze, but ultimately found herself unable to address the eyes behind the mask.

Amon's eyes, on the other hand, never left her face. It was unnerving that he did not need to threaten or use physical force to make her talk.

Finished saying her piece, Li waited for Amon to react. It was not long before he spoke up.

"I apologize for keeping you here, and take full responsibility for your condition." His head bowed slightly.

Now Li was making eye contact, her fear momentarily forgotten as it was replaced with surprise. It might have just been his voice, but to her ears, the apology did not sound as convincing as it should have.

"That's…okay." It was all she could come up with at the moment.

"I was not aware that you were a non-bender, nor that your dealings with the Triad were all but friendly. Understand, the possibility was not brought to my attention until late yesterday. I am here now, because I needed to confirm the truth with you." He left out the part about having the Lieutenant do a background search.

Amon gestured to the open door. "You will not be kept against your will any longer."

Li stood up, having gotten over the initial shock, and regarded him with a mix of suspicion and fear. Even standing at full height, he was a head taller than her. "You – you won't have any Equalists shadow me?"

"No."

"Or send anyone to kill me?"

"I will not," Amon shook his head. "Our goal is to bring peace to this world through equality. You've seen with your own eyes, and just days ago were subject to the actions of benders who use their abilities to oppress and extort others. That prejudice and misuse of power is the force we Equalists oppose."

There was some truth to his words, Li noted. Benders did have advantages that they could, and did, use for their benefit. Lightning Bolt Zolt and the Triple Threat Triad were perfect examples of this. The way Amon explained it now, what the Equalists were trying to accomplish was not bad.

Her thoughts went to Bolin. _But no all benders are corrupt. Although, it might be hard to argue that to someone who doesn't like benders…and Bolin was working for the Triad, even though he said it was only for money, and not out of loyalty or duty to the gang._

"So you want to take away bending from all those who misuse it?" Her question was slow and careful. The Equalists weren't her enemies anymore, but she was still in their territory. Asking too many questions was likely dangerous.

"It is inevitable that a day will come when there are no more benders."

Li swallowed and nodded, her gaze dropping back to the floor. That didn't sound promising. _He seems to want to eradicate bending all together, no exceptions. A cause for world peace is good, but I'm not sure if the ends justify his means._ She didn't agree with everything Amon said, but there was no way she was going to tell him that.

"Are you ready to leave?" Amon asked at her silence.

"Yes."

Amon closed the space between them in a couple of steps. "I must ask that you tell no one of this place. You will also need an excuse for your absence – you've been listed as a missing person in the newspaper."

The frown that had begun to form on Li's face turned to disbelief. "H-how long have I been here?" She worried, glancing at the bed behind her so she wouldn't have to look at the figure towering over her. Even though he was being courteous and not threatening, his presence was terrifying.

"Today is the third day."

"Right," she mumbled awkwardly, scratching her head. _Now what?_

"The less you know about us, the safer you will be."

_I hope you know that's not very encouraging._

Amon's right hand moved from his side.

Li raised her left hand at the same time, intent on stopping him from carrying through with the motion. Her hand hovered in the air at chest level as her gaze locked with his.

For a second her eyes gave a silent challenge, daring him to make a move after everything he had said. Then they lost their edge, and she lowered her hand back to her side. _It's for the best._

Relaxing her muscles as best she could before the strike, she gave a curt nod and final glance at the white mask.

Amon's hand struck with precision.

Li winced at the brief second of pain before her vision began to fade, and she collapsed into a pair of arms. Beneath the fabric where her head rested came a soft, pulsating beat.

_Just like the dream,_she mused as her consciousness slipped away.

* * *

**~ For those of you who celebrate it, have a happy fourth of July! ~**


	7. Meet the Fire Ferrets

**Note to self: Attempting to write while vacationing at the beach gets nothing accomplished.**

**Thank you to my reviewers: hidansgirl1234, warrioroftheravens, Guest, and StarnightX! Your comments make me very happy, and I appreciate your enthusiasm for this story! I should be able to update sooner next time.**

**Read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra.** _

* * *

Li woke when something light glided across her wrist. Her eyelids fluttered as sunlight temporarily blinded her. It was early morning judging by the sun's position. Her back was against a tree, and over the colorful treetops around her, she could see in the buildings of Republic City.

Standing wearily, she kept a hand against the tree trunk for support.

"I'm outside," she whispered, a smile forming on her face. Despite all she had been through in the past few days, the feeling of elation could not be held back. "And I'm alive."

She moved away from the tree and breathed deeply. _Who knows what'll happen to the Triad now that their leader's missing; maybe they'll disband? And the Equalists know I'm not a bender now, so I shouldn't have any problems from them. Things are looking up!_

A passing couple stared at her, giving her disheveled appearance and wide grin a strange look before quickly moving on.

Li ducked her head in embarrassment and started off in what she hoped was the direction of her apartment. She was sure she had passed the park before; now all she had to do was recall which way she was heading at the time, and look for anything that gave her a clue as to where she was. While reading passing store and restaurant signs, she allowed her mind to wander.

The day's schedule started off with a shower and change of clothes. Afterwards she would go to the police to have them remove her name from the list of missing persons – and contact Ling to let her know she wasn't dead. That was the most important event of the day and needed to get done.

Following that, if there was still time left in the day, she could try to find out what happened to Bolin. It was possible the Equalists had released him if he was no longer a bender.

Her pace quickened as she exited the park, mulling over all that needed to happen before her life could return to normal.

Amon said she would need to come up with a lie to protect the Equalists from the authorities, and although it burdened her conscience, she did not want to get further involved with the non-bending group. _There's no way Amon could take down all of Republic City's benders anyway; the police will probably find and arrest him soon enough._

"You! Ah, I mean, Li!"

She had been so engrossed in wondering what she would tell the police that the person she passed on the sidewalk almost went unnoticed. Unsure if someone had spoken to her, she turned around. Her eyes widened when the familiar teenager grabbed her by the shoulders, his expression mirroring her own. "Bolin!"

"You're alive!" They exclaimed in unison, surprise giving way to relief.

"How did you get out?" Li asked, eyes filled with worry as she gave Bolin a quick once-over. He appeared to be in good health, and there were no Equalists chasing him.

In the end her gaze stopped on the scarf around his neck, which upon further inspection turned out to be not a fashion statement, but a fire ferret. _It's cute…_

"Korra and Mako came to rescue me," Bolin explained, releasing her shoulders. "Amon was taking everyone's bending at this big rally, and right as it was my turn, the place filled with steam. Everyone started screaming," he waved his arms to emphasize the chaos, "and Mako pulled me off the stage. We just barely got away. The news was all over Republic City yesterday – Amon, his abilities, and the Equalists."

Li took a step in the direction of her apartment building. Bolin was alright, so she could check that task off her to-do list.

"Hey, where are you headed?"

"Home. I need to clean up." She gestured to her appearance and took another step.

"I'll come with you," the younger teenager volunteered, moving closer.

"Oh no, that's okay. You don't have to." She told him, trying for a nonchalant attitude as she started walking.

"No, really, it's alright. I was actually looking for you." Bolin stuffed his hands in his pockets, and looked at her guiltily. "I wanted to find you that night, but I had no idea where you were or where to start looking. I didn't even know where _I_ was when I was saved. Mako said it was too dangerous to go back and look around, and Chief Bei Fong has been keeping her eye on the place ever since."

"That was nice of you," Li smiled. "I've been worried about you too. After the Equalists took you away, I thought…" It wasn't necessary to finish her train of thought. They were almost at her apartment now.

"So how did you escape?" Bolin looked behind them, as if expecting to see a suspicious person following.

"Uh…" She hadn't thought about it yet, but there wasn't a lie she could tell him that was plausible; after all, he had been trapped in a cell with her for two days. "They let me go when they found out I wasn't a bender."

The words were rushed, but Bolin somehow heard them clearly. His jaw dropped and eyes bulged.

It did sound unbelievable after what they had been through. Then again, it would also sound ridiculous if she tried to tell him she escaped from her cell, took out the guards on her own, and made it back without a scratch.

Li stopped walking and pointed to the building next to her. "Oh look, this is my –" The sentence died on her lips at the sight of the apartment building.

The windows were covered with planks of wood and a police barricade barred entryway through the missing front door. There was a gaping hole on the second floor of the building and several areas on the structure's right side were charred. Part of the second floor had also caved in on the weakened support below.

_What happened to my home?_ She mouthed the words, unable to speak.

Bolin moved behind her, and placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder. "There was a fire a couple of days ago – supposedly it was the Triad's doing. The police salvaged what they could from the building..."

From where she was standing, it didn't look like the fire had reached her apartment, but she couldn't know for sure.

Assuming her possessions were unharmed, the next problem was determining where she would live from now on. The Triad had taken a significant amount of her money, and she wouldn't be able to rent another apartment and simultaneously pay for daily necessities with the finances she currently possessed.

Her hands came up to slap her cheeks, and she winced at the pain in her jaw. _That was probably a bad idea, but…_

"You okay?" Bolin's hand left her shoulder, and when she spun around to face him, he looked nervous. Perhaps he thought she had snapped under the stress?

"Yes, I'm fine." She seemed to be assuring herself more than her companion. A couple of deep breaths later, she trusted her mental stability a little more. _The plan isn't changing that much…yet._

"One step at a time. Police first; I need my name off the 'Missing' list. Then I can get my stuff back, assuming nothing's gone missing or was destroyed in the fire." She turned in the direction of the police station and headed off in a determined stride. Fortunately she passed the building every day on the way to work, so she was spared from walking around looking lost and asking for directions.

"Wait, Li!"

"Ugh!" Something landed on her head and shoulders, the sudden weight nearly sending her toppling forward. Swiftly reaching up, she pulled whatever it was off her head and held it away at arm's length.

A pair of orange eyes gazed back, ears flat against the ferret's head as it gave a little squeak.

Bolin caught up to her and scratched the top of the animal's head. "Heeeyy, Pabu likes you!" He laughed.

_I don't like animals jumping on my head, tame or otherwise._ She regarded the ferret with the best menacing look she could muster. _You're lucky you're cute._

Bolin took the ferret from her and settled it on his shoulder. "No more jumping, Pabu. I already told you it's not polite." He waved a lecturing finger at the ferret. Whether or not it actually understood what he was saying went unknown.

"As I was about to say," he addressed Li now, "you might still want to clean up your appearance. You look like you've been in a fight, and you smell like…" after rethinking his choice of words, "…bad."

Li's face twitched. "I don't have any of my stuff. That's why I'm going to the police."

"Oh, right." His face lit up after a thoughtful pause. "I could take you to the Pro-Bending arena! Korra's probably practicing there, so she might have an extra pair of clothes you could borrow. And there are showers." There was an emphasis on the last sentence, as if he thought she had never showered before.

_Wow. I really must smell terrible._ She looked at her attire and the blackened fabric on her left arm. _Oh yeah, Zolt ruined my shirt. Maybe I should take Bolin up on that suggestion._ "Thank you."

"No problem," he grinned back.

"Can we hurry? I'd like to get this mess cleared up as soon as possible."

"Sure. Follow me." Bolin led her in the opposite way she had begun to move off in, away from the heart of the city and towards the sea.

* * *

"Wow." Li's eyes widened as she and Bolin approached the Pro-Bending arena, taking in the scale of the building's towers and central dome that glinted in the late morning sunlight. Not only was it enormous but absolutely beautiful – the detail and architectural design was more similar to that of a monument than a sporting arena.

"You should see it at night," Bolin recommended as they stepped through the front archway. "All the lights turn on and against the night sky it looks like a golden palace floating on the sea." He led her down a long hallway, turned right into another long hallway, and then pushed open a pair of double doors.

Inside was a young man in a Fire Ferret uniform, throwing fiery punches at an imaginary opponent. He stopped when they entered the training hall – it was too big to be considered a room.

"Another one, Bolin?" The panting teenager raised a disapproving eyebrow, eyes moving from Bolin to Li.

Serious demeanor. Lean yet muscular physique. Yes, this was definitely Mako.

"No, no, Mako; you've got it wrong!" Bolin defended himself. "This is Li. You know, the girl whom I shared an Equalist prison cell with?" Two hands against her back, he pushed Li a few steps forward.

Flustered by the sudden introduction, she did her best to act natural. "Uh… Hi." As usual, it failed miserably. She was certain her face was pink, and her hands were itching to fidget with something.

Mako looked back, seemingly just as lost for words as she. "Hi." A small frown. "What's that smell?"

Bolin decided to cut in. "That's what we're here for. Have you seen Korra?"

"She just came in. She's putting on her uniform, I think."

"Great! Let's go Li."

"You can't go into the womens' locker room, Bolin." Mako crossed his arms, the frown still in place.

Bolin gave a small wave. "I know that." At Li's suspicious look, he raised his voice in indignation. "I'm not _that_ kind of guy!"

Mako just gave a small shake of his head and went back to practicing.

The two teenagers exited the hall and a few doors down, Bolin knocked on one labeled "Women's Room".

"Huh?" A voice called from inside, and the door opened. "Oh, hey Bolin." The water tribe native smiled and then gave a questioning look at Li, eyes stopping on her bruised jaw. "Hi." She stepped out of the changing room, firmly shutting the door behind her. "What's up?" Her tone was friendly but distracted.

"Korra, this is Li – the girl I told you about from the other night. Li, this is Korra." A childish grin crept onto his face. "The Avatar," he whispered excitedly.

Li's mouth opened in surprise. _You told me everything about your new teammate but failed to mention she was the Avatar. How do you forget something like that?_ She eyed the female member of the Fire Ferrets. _She looks familiar._

"Nice to meet you," Korra held out a hand, offering her a strong handshake. "I heard what happened from Bolin, and I'm sorry. Is there something I can help with?"

Getting over the initial shock of the identity of the person she was standing in front of, Li managed to find her voice. "Do you have an extra set of clothes? The police have my stuff, and I need to clean up before I go there. If you don't have anything, that's fine!" She quickly finished, nervous that she was asking too much of the person she had just met.

"Well, I don't have any extra clothes, but I'm sure the closet in there has something clean you can wear." Korra pointed her thumb at the changing room.

"Okay. Thanks," she nodded and opened the door.

"I'm going back with Korra," Bolin said, giving a small wave as she shut the door.

_Meeting famous people is very tiring and stressful._


	8. Truths and Lies

**A big thank you to my reviewer: warrioroftheravens! – I'll keep in mind your comment on Bolin's character so far. Also, thank you to those who have put this story on their favorite/alert list!**

**This is not important, but I need to say it: The Dark Knight Rises was awesome! *ahem* All right, moving on…**

**Please read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of**_** Korra.**

* * *

A shower had never felt so wonderful, thought Li as she exited the women's changing room. The white shirt and grey pants she found in the closet were a size too big, but just being in clean clothes was satisfying enough.

Hearing what sounded like a fight coming from the training hall, she opened one of the doors and stuck her head in.

Bolin was shouting constructive criticism from the side as Korra and Mako traded blows in a sparring match, hurling fire and water at one another. The three teenagers didn't notice the silent onlooker when she entered, all too absorbed in their own tasks.

Her curiosity appeased, Li stood half-in and half-out of the hall, propping the door open with her foot and ready to retreat in case a straying element came her way. _They're really amazing. The competition's going to be tough, but they just might make it to the top. I wouldn't expect anything less from a Pro-Bender, but Korra's holding her own against Mako – even if she is the Avatar, she sure can fight._ She grinned. _What Dad wouldn't give to see this! I'll have to rub it in his face the next time I see him._

"Okay, I think I need a breather," Korra panted, raising her hands all of a sudden at her teammate. Waving her hands around the room, she collected the spilled water on the floor, dumping it back into a few empty buckets.

"Tired already?" Mako asked, pulling his headgear off and wiping a sleeve across his forehead.

"It's been a few days since I last practiced with you," Korra pointed out, her voice tight. She looked in Li's direction, acknowledging her presence with a nod.

"Oh, hey Li! What are you doing standing all the way over there?" Bolin waved, motioning for her to join them.

Letting the door shut, the self-conscious teenager fully entered the hall under the gaze of the Pro-Benders. "Thank you for the clothes and the shower," she bowed stiffly. "I promise I'll return these as soon as I get my belongings back from the police."

Korra waved a dismissive hand at her worries as Bolin spoke up. "Those clothes don't really belong to anyone…You don't need to be so tense, Li; lighten up! We're all friends here."

_Except you guys have been friends longer, and the only reason we met in the first place was because you and I were locked in a prison cell together. I feel like I'm dragging my problems into other people's lives and expecting them to be fixed for me._ She nodded nonetheless at his remark and managed a small smile. _But I do like being in your company._

She remembered her co-worker, and her grip on the folded pants (she had thrown out the ruined shirt) tightened. "I need to get going." The smile left her face, replaced with an anxious frown.

"Need a body guard to get to the police station?" Bolin questioned, observing the change in her expression.

"Hmmm…"

"I can get you there quickly if you don't mind riding Naga," Korra stood up.

Mako looked surprised by his teammate's comment. "You're finished practicing today? It's been barely an hour since you got here, and we still have the hall for another hour and a half."

"Yeah, well, I need to practice my air bending," explained Korra as she excused herself from the group. "I'll be back in a minute," she told Li.

"So who, er, what, is Naga?" Li asked the brothers, glancing at Pabu who was stretched out lazily on the bench next to Bolin.

If Korra was expecting her to ride _on_ something rather than _in_ something, Naga was most likely an animal – unless the Avatar liked naming satomobiles. _A big animal…_

"Naga's a polar bear dog," Bolin answered, rubbing the back of his neck as if it was stiff. "She's big and friendly; even Pabu here gets along with her. Just make sure you ride on her back and don't let her carry you in her mouth."

"It's not so bad," Mako added with a shrug.

_Why would I want any animal to carry me in its mouth? Polar bear dog… Was that that giant animal I saw my first day in the city?_ She kept her features composed while mentally panicking. _Oh my gosh, I thought that thing was going to trample me and everyone else on the sidewalk! Is it even legal to ride one of those in Republic City?_

"Sounds – interesting."

The doors opened and Korra entered the hall, having discarded her uniform for a casual water tribe outfit. "Ready to go?" She looked at Li expectantly, hands on hips.

Li nodded and waved at the brothers. "I guess I'll see you around? Nice meeting you," she glanced at Mako.

"Yeah, we've gotta hang out some time!" Bolin grinned and waved back enthusiastically. "Good luck getting your stuff! Come over some time and I'll show you how to earth bend! Pabu will miss you too!"

She blinked at Bolin, and Mako gave his brother a look. The younger brother was still rambling when the doors shut, muffling his shouts.

Korra regarded her with a comical expression as the two of them started down the hall at a brisk pace. "He'll show you how to earth bend?" Her voice was incredulous, giving Li the impression that she was being teased.

The color of her cheeks reddened and she shook her head. "I'm not a bender, but there's some earth bending _potential_ in my blood." She summarized as Korra led her out a side door.

"He's just being energetic, I'm sure," the water tribe teenager assured her with a grin.

"Hey, Naga." She was looking over Li's head as she spoke, and a larger shadow swallowed her own.

The older teenager felt a hot breath on the back of her neck and instinctively tensed.

"This is Naga, my best friend and animal guide." Korra introduced her to the polar bear dog as she turned to get a view of the animal, only for a slobbering tongue to run up the front of her face.

"Don't worry; she's friendly. Still haven't gotten her to stop licking…" Korra stepped around her to pat the happy-looking animal's head, while Li wiped at her moist face.

Sitting on Naga's back, she realized how high off the ground she was once the animal stood.

"You might want to hold on," Korra said over her shoulder, just in time for Li to hesitantly reach around the teen's waist as the large creature bounded forward in long strides.

_At this rate, I think we're going to need to make a stop at the hospital before we go to the police._ Li worried as she clung to Korra's back as though her life depended on it – which, in a way, it did. This ride might just give her a heart attack.

By the time Naga skidded to a halt in front of the police station, Li's muscles ached from tensing for so long. With a small groan, she released her death grip on Korra and pulled her dirty pants out from their place as a cushion for her backside. She let out a sigh of relief as she slid off the animal's back and felt the firm road beneath her feet.

Korra jumped down and pointed at her jaw. "Want me to fix that bruise?"

"You can do that?"

"Well, being a water bender also makes me a healer."

Li nodded without hesitation. She didn't want to walk around looking like a thug – or a victim.

Gathering water molecules from the air around them, Korra's hand, surrounded by the shimmering liquid, hovered over her jaw. The soothing sensation spread across her skin, strange but not unwelcome.

A few seconds later, Korra pulled her hand away, letting the water splatter on the ground. "Much better," she commented, admiring her work.

Li experimentally poked gently at the skin of her jaw, feeling nothing. She pressed harder. No pain or swelling. Her eyes widened in awe, shyness lost in the revelation. "That's amazing! Thank you!"

"No problem." Korra mimicked her wide grin before her eyes took on a serious glint. "Make sure you're careful. Lightning Bolt Zolt is gone, but the Triad is still out there."

Li nodded. "I will. Thank you again for everything you've done. And good luck getting the money for the Pro-Bending Finals," she said as Korra got on Naga's back.

Korra gave a wave as the polar bear dog started down the street, swerving around pedestrians and the occasional satomobile.

_I'm never riding on an animal again,_ Li swore to herself as she marched up the steps and into the police station.

Once inside, she headed for a long counter where a couple men in metal bending uniforms sat. The young officer she stopped in front of looked up from his paperwork. "Yes?"

"Um, my name is on the 'Missing' list in the newspaper. Who do I need to see to get it removed?"

The man's eyes widened at her words. It must have been uncommon for a person from the 'Missing' list to come back alive. He stood up. "Officer Saikhan is in charge of those matters. If you'll wait here a minute, I'll go get him." Leaving the counter, he disappeared down a hall on the left.

With nothing to do while the man was gone, Li twisted the clothing in her hands nervously and shifted from one foot to another, looking around the room. It was simple and empty for the most part. No pictures or architectural designs to admire while waiting, she glanced at the other officer at the counter. The man's eyes caught hers and she quickly looked away, staring intently at the pair of pants she was wrinkling.

When the silence was almost unbearable, the young man returned with an older officer following him. The young man moved back to his position behind the counter as the other officer addressed her.

"I'm Officer Saikhan," he introduced himself, reaching out and shaking hands with her. Despite the serious demeanor, his voice was kind.

"Li Shen." She managed a polite smile.

"We can discuss your business as we walk," he told her, beckoning her to follow him down the hall he had come from. "I was told your name is on the 'Missing' list. Are you familiar with the procedures for having it removed?" It was obvious she didn't know, but it never hurt to ask.

"No."

"We'll need to take a picture to confirm your identity; although I doubt you're not who you say you are. We also need to know where you've been, and you'll need to fill out some paperwork. After all that is taken care of, I'll contact the newspaper and have them remove the message and photo." He had her stop in front of a wall, and as he stomped the ground, a portion of the wall slid aside to create a doorway.

"You can fill out the paperwork first," Saikhan decided, stepping into the sparsely furnished room and moving toward his desk. Opening a drawer, he pushed some documents aside before withdrawing a piece of paper and handing it to her. He gave her a pen and motioned for her to sit in a chair that had been pushed into a corner of the office.

Crossing her legs and using her lap for a hard surface, she looked over the paper. Most of it asked for personal and contact information, and there was a space at the bottom for her signature, to show she agreed to cooperate with the police.

When she came to the question asking for her address, she paused and looked at the officer on the other side of the room. "My apartment building…" She began, and swallowed heavily.

Saikhan looked up from the report he was reading, waiting for her to continue.

"It was recently – destroyed, so to speak. Should I still put its name, even though I'm not living there?"

"Where are you living now?"

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"I don't have a place to live right now," she admitted.

Saikhan frowned. "Put down the name of the apartment building."

A few minutes later, Li had completed the paperwork and handed it back to the officer, who put it in his desk and led her back out to the hall.

In another room a photographer took a couple of pictures of her, while Saikhan left to retrieve another member of the police staff.

With the pictures taken and an elderly man trailing close behind, Saikhan returned and brought them to an interrogation room. Enclosed in the small and dismal place, Li felt her hands begin to sweat, and she gripped her knees tightly to resist the urge to bounce her legs in nervous energy.

She and Saikhan sat across from each other, separated by a table, while the elderly man settled himself on a stool in one corner of the room, pulling out a pen and notebook.

From this point on, everything she said would be recorded; this was her one and only chance – she couldn't slip up. The lie she had come up with while showering sounded believable to her own ears, so with luck it would seem so to the police as well.

Saikhan was skimming over a piece of paper, and looked up at her after reading what he needed to know. He leaned his elbows on the table in a casual manner, and the elderly man in the corner began to write.

"The report we received from Miss Ling says that you did not show up at work for several days, and a visit to your apartment concluded that you were not where you were supposed to be. She goes on to suspect that the Triple Threat Triad was behind your disappearance. Start from the beginning: when did things first go wrong?"

"It started on the night my land lady was expected to pay the Triad. When she couldn't pay, they gave her an extension until the end of the week. On the final day, she still didn't have enough money."

In creating her story, she had decided it was best to stick to the truth when she could; it was bad enough that she was twisting events. _I can't say I agree with all Equalist methods, but as long as they're doing more good than harm, I won't speak out against them._

"I didn't mean to get caught up in the mess, but I couldn't stand by with the Triad threatening her. I asked them to not harm anyone, and said the land lady would be able to pay the next time – I even offered to give them some of my own money." She bit her lip and looked at the table, eyes narrowing in concentration, as if she were trying to remember what happened.

"One of the Triad tried to grab me, and I got scared, so I ran. A few of them chased me and… I think the police arrived." She shook her head, voice shaking, although it was more from fear of getting caught in a lie than the memory of the night's events. "There was fire and water and I think something smashed the windows. I was heading for the stairs, trying to escape to the second floor, and something, er, maybe it was someone, hit me on the head. After that, I'm not sure what happened; but when I woke up, I was tied up and blindfolded."

Saikhan nodded, his expression unreadable. "Did you recognize any voices, or was there any clue that gave away where you were?"

"I only heard men's voices, and they didn't sound familiar. I don't know where I was either, but it was quiet there." She sat silent for a few seconds, expecting to be asked another question.

When the officer made no further comment, she continued. "They gave me food, and that was the only time I ever heard any people. The last thing I remember was hearing men shouting, and then I was unconscious. When I woke up, it was morning – this morning – and I was lying under a tree in the park."

Saikhan rubbed his chin thoughtfully, mulling over her story. Then, "Do you remember what the men talked about when they came to feed you?"

Li shook her head. "No, sorry. I was afraid they were going to kill me whenever they would visit; but they just fed me."

"Is there anything else you can remember about what happened, maybe a smell, or the type of food they gave you? It might help in identifying your kidnappers."

The questions were coming now, and Li was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Each answer contributed to her fabrication, and the more he asked, the more she worried that she would mess up and say something that contradicted a previous statement.

"They gave me bread and water, but I don't know if there was any smell. I wasn't really paying attention to that stuff."

"The men's voices… How many would you say were there?"

She shuffled in her chair, tilting her head slightly. Either he was buying her lies, or pretending to play unsuspecting. "Maybe five? There were at least two around when I was given food."

Saikhan leaned away from the table, pushing his chair back slightly as if ready to end the interview. "Is that everything?"

"Yes." Li nodded, hoping her response hadn't come too quickly. She was glad the table hid her hands, which fiddled in her lap.

Saikhan stood and signaled to the old man in the corner that his job was done. "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Shen. Your information should be removed from the newspaper before tomorrow's printing."

Adrenaline fueling her limbs, she stood up quickly, eager to be out of the room. "Thank you for your help," she said in return, bowing politely. "Uh, about my possessions from the apartment," she began as they exited the interrogation room.

"You said your apartment building was destroyed not long ago… Would that be the Lotus Apartments?" The young woman really had terrible luck, thought Saikhan.

"Yes. A friend told me the police removed the surviving possessions and are keeping them."

"There's a separate department that deals with those cases. I can take you to someone who might be able to help."

* * *

After seeing the teenager off to the Legal Custody Department to find her belongings, Saikhan was handed the interview script. Thanking the elderly man, he returned to his office to retrieve the file containing witness accounts from the incident at the Lotus Apartments.

By law he was expected to review all cases and make sure information matched up. It had been a couple days since he last read the reports, but he was certain something had changed.

He picked up the account from the land lady of the apartment building and began reading, a frown darkening his expression the further he got in the report. Sliding Li Shen's interview next to the old woman's, his eyes flickered back and forth between the two, comparing them.

Equalists. The youth had mentioned nothing about Equalist involvement, but the old lady said in her report that they were present.

Next he pulled out a couple of pedestrians' recollections of the event. One was vague, mentioning a couple of unrecognizable figures pulling up in a shipping truck. The other confirmed that he had seen a number of Equalists leaving the apartment building with a few unmoving people before driving away in a large truck.

Saikhan reached for the file again, skimming through more papers until he located the official police report. Going back and forth between the report and Li's interview, he found the information he was looking for.

When the police arrived on the scene, they found two unconscious Triad members inside the apartment building. It was confirmed that one member had escaped, while five had gone missing. The land lady believed one of the missing to be an innocent bystander.

Saikhan got out of his chair and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost four o'clock; there was still time. Leaving the office, he made his way to the communications room.

_Li Shen was not kidnapped by the Triple Threat Triad; she was taken by the Equalists. _

A couple of lower-ranking officers acknowledged Saikhan as he entered the communications room. Paying them no mind, he stepped beside a middle-aged man whose line was not in use.

"Officer Saikhan?" The communications officer looked expectantly at his superior's troubled countenance.

"Contact Councilman Tarrlok."


	9. Making Plans

**Thank you to my reviewers: BeccaRomano and warrioroftheravens! I'm glad you're just as enthusiastic about this story as I am! And thank you as well to those who have put this story on their favorite/alert list!**

**This chapter's a bit on the slow side (just what you wanted to read, right? :P ), but significant. I know it's also shorter compared to others, but after thinking it over, the end is where it should to be. So, without further ado:**

**Read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**.**

* * *

Li carried her trunk with her as she walked down the street, shifting it from one hand to another when either arm began to ache.

She had recovered her clothes and some bathroom supplies, along with the Pro-Bending tickets and what little money she kept tucked within the pages of a book. However, not all of her possessions had been recovered – it was likely the apartments were robbed before being set on fire – but one trunk of belongings was better than nothing.

She passed the port and the school where she worked, looking for signs that would point out Ling's apartment building. It would be easier to call her newfound friend, but she thought it best to spend as little money as possible.

After another half hour of wandering through the streets she found the building. Judging by outside appearances alone, the apartments were larger and undoubtedly more expensive than those of the Lotus Apartments.

_Ling never told me her family had this kind of money,_ Li mused, hauling her suitcase up the stairs and stepping into the lobby. There was a small clerk situated in the corner of the pristine room who did not bother to look up from his desk as she entered.

Ignoring how common-place she looked in the high-end environment, she approached the desk. "Hello; can you tell me the number of my friend's apartment? Her name is Ling."

The spectacled man glanced at her and pulled out a book, flipping through its pages slowly as if it was a strenuous task. Despite his job, his clothes were made of silk and sported intricate designs over his chest and forearms, suggesting he was wealthy. "Room Eight. It's on this floor."

_Good. No more stairs._

The man closed the book and went on with the task he had been preoccupied with when she entered, his manners suggesting his assumed superiority over her. Li frowned at this but moved on, determined to not let the man belittling sway her.

Stopping in front of the door marked with an eight, she knocked loudly and waited for an answer. It was a week day, so it was possible Ling hadn't returned home yet. She would wait a while if there was no response, and leave a note if her friend took too long to arrive.

There was a _clack_ as the door unlocked, and a weary-looking Ling came face-to-face with Li. Eyes instantly widening at the sight of the teenager at her door, she gave a surprised shriek and jumped forward, enveloping her in a bone crushing hug.

"Li, I thought you were dead!" The girl wailed, her hug tightening.

Li was rigid, her muscles hurting more under the teenager's embrace. "I'm okay, really," she assured her friend in a strained voice. "Except… you're crushing my lungs."

Ling pulled back slightly, tears streaking down her cheeks. "I'm glad you're all right," she said, wiping at her eyes and giving a few wet sniffs.

Li winced at her friend's reaction. _We've only known each other for a week and she's acting like we've been best friends for our entire lives._ She felt a twinge of guilt in her stomach. _Would I have been this upset if Ling had disappeared after only a week…?_

Casting doubts aside with a shake of her head, she focused on the situation at hand. "It's good to be back."

Ling nodded, her eyes pink but drying. "Come on in, I just made some tea." She motioned for Li to follow as she went back into the apartment.

Li picked up her trunk and closed the door behind her.

Moving to sit on one of two sofas in the front room, she set down her luggage and looked around as Ling poured tea in another room. The twin sofas were new, and the cupboard and tea table were made of the same dark wood. A large carpet covered the wooden floorboards. Overall, the place was much more high-class than her ruined apartment. She drew her attention away from the furnishings as Ling entered the room with two cups of tea.

Handing the steaming cup to her, Ling sat down on the other side of the sofa, eyeing the trunk by her legs. "You're not going to leave are you?" She gave the object a worried frown before waiting for an answer.

"No, I'm not going to leave Republic City; but I need to find another place to live."

"I heard about the apartments. I'm sorry." Both girls sipped at their tea morosely.

After a moment, "It can't be helped." Li sighed. "Until the next pay day, I'll just have to find some place to camp out. I have enough money for food, so at least I don't have to worry about that."

"That's not fair," pouted Ling, setting her tea on the table and crossing her arms.

"I'll be fine."

"You could stay here?" Ling gestured around the room. "There's enough space for two people."

"I couldn't do that!" She nearly dropped her empty tea cup, and put it on the table to prevent doing so. It looked too nice and expensive. "This place is really impressive, so it must cost a lot to live here," she went on to explain her reasoning. "I don't have the money to help pay for it, and if I took up your offer, I _should_ pay for it, because otherwise I'm relying entirely on you. It doesn't feel right to just take something that's offered without giving anything in return."

"This apartment is nice," Ling agreed, "but it doesn't really belong to me."

Li straightened and looked at her questioningly.

"My parents work for the Sato family. They _bought_ this apartment for me, along with most of the furniture, so there is no rent. I still pay the bills – electricity and water – but I accepted this because they wanted it for me. They wanted me to be happy and comfortable, and they didn't ask for anything in return, no compensation." Ling smiled as she observed her companion's blank expression. "It's this thing called unconditional love."

Standing, she picked up her tea cup, gulping down the rest of its contents before picking up Li's. "Want some more?"

Li shook her head and stared at her hands, feeling like she had just been taught a lesson by her mother. _Unconditional…_

"You know," Ling began as she came back into the room, having discarded the tea cups, "if you're really not comfortable with it, there is another option." Her mischievous grin was met with a wary expression.

"I could talk to my parents about your situation. Your days are already very busy, but Mr. Sato is nice, and I'm sure my parents could get you a part-time job working at his estate – on the weekends, maybe. When you've made enough money, you can go buy a bigger apartment. How does that sound?"

A smile was threatening to form on Li's lips, and she tried to hide it behind a scowl. "You're being too kind to me."

"We're friends aren't we? What are friends for?"

"Yes, we are." She surrendered to the smile as Ling gave a triumphant laugh.

"Then it's a deal! I see my parents on the weekends, so I'll drag you along and we can talk to them then. In the meantime, make yourself at home."

* * *

"I can show you the papers, if you'd like to confirm it," Saikhan offered, pulling the file from his desk drawer and setting it out for the councilman to take. "They're not allowed to leave the station for legal reasons, so you'll have to read them here."

Councilman Tarrlok picked up the file and flipped through its contents, estimating how long it would take to go over the information. "You're _positive_ it was the Equalists? Pointing an accusing finger at the wrong group can strengthen their support and weaken our own."

"I'm sure," the officer replied, his arms crossed stubbornly. "With all the evidence in there, it's physically impossible for the Triad to have taken the girl. You know as well as I do that the Equalists are now posing a threat as big as the Triad's, if not greater; the only difference is that an alarming percentage of the public support for the Equalists. It's possible the girl is one of those supporters."

Tarrlok closed the folder. "It'll take a while to read through this." He eyed the clock and shook his head. "I'll start on it tomorrow."

He handed the file back, his expression contemplative. "I assume you heard that little speech on the radio?"

Saikhan gave a curt nod. "I doubt there are many who did not. This Amon, whoever he is, has power and authority, and he's not hesitating to use them to his advantage."

"The Equalists need to be taken out before they get too powerful."

Saikhan's frown deepened and he tapped his fingers against his arm in annoyance. "I am aware." Tarrlok shot him a dark look at his tone, and the officer turned his head away, scowling. The councilman was still superior in rank, and he wasn't afraid to remind him of this fact. "What of the Triad, then?"

"With this gang kidnapping and Equalist business, the Triad's growing restless. There was already strife amongst some of the higher-ups in the gang; now that Zolt is gone, several are aiming to come out on top – using any means necessary. Let the Triad destroy itself – that will save us time and energy. As for the Equalists…" A twisted smile formed on Tarrlok's face, and he seemed lost in his scheming for a minute before continuing. "Perhaps an attack from both sides is the best course of action."

Saikhan raised an eyebrow.

"An external and internal force working against them," the councilman elaborated, his grin widening. "And I think I know who can help us with that."

Even though Tarrlok wasn't giving names, Saikhan already had an idea about whom the councilman was referring to. Nevertheless, he kept his unease hidden and said nothing.

"I will speak to the council about it." Tarrlok gave a small bow, excusing himself from the room with a smirk. "I'll be back tomorrow, Saikhan."

* * *

**Anyone have ideas about what's in store for Li? :D**


	10. Threats

**A plate of cookies and muffins for my reviewers: BeccaRomano and vampheart410! I would also like to thank those of you who have put this story on your favorite/alert list. I hope everyone's enjoying the story so far! Amon (and maybe Bolin?) will be coming back in the next chapter.**

**Please read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_** or Amon's radio speech – the latter of which I altered a little so that I wouldn't be copying word-for-word.**

* * *

"So?" Saikhan asked when the councilman entered his office, although the younger man's smile was enough to tell him things had gone well.

"The Council has agreed on the formation of a task force to take down Amon and the Equalists – the only vote against it coming from Tenzin, of course." Tarrlok seemed energetic delivering the news, unable to stand still as he paced back in forth in front of the desk. "I want you to pick out the best officers for the team; make sure they are not only metal benders."

"Consider it done." The officer nodded and interlaced his fingers. "You never gave me an answer after you read through the file this morning. What do you think?"

"She's definitely hiding something," Tarrlok agreed, "and I'm very sure that it is protecting the Equalists."

"Should we arrest her?"

"No. Right now you do not have any concrete evidence proving she is working with them. The best the police could do is arrest her for lying to the authorities; you wouldn't be able to keep her for very long."

Saikhan frowned at this and watched the councilman, whose smile had still not left his face. "You want to use her."

Tarrlok did not reply, but stopped pacing.

"I know you've wanted to ever since I spoke to you about her case yesterday, and I'm not sure if that's a wise decision. Can she be trusted when she's already lied? We don't know her motivation, and there's only so much we can do to try and make her cooperate, should she refuse…"

The councilman raised an assuring hand at his concerns. "I'll speak with her about it. As for her response to my… invitation, I think she'll cooperate."

Saikhan was curious, but let his superior's answer satisfy him for the time being. Tarrlok would no doubt persuade the teenager to fall in league with the task force, and at the very least, serve as an informant. Things would work out for the best in the end, he told himself.

"Should I leave the Avatar to you, then?" He raised an eyebrow in a grimly amused expression.

Tarrlok sent him a wry smile. "Sharp as ever, Saikhan."

* * *

"Miss Li, you have a visitor."

Li looked up from the desk of the boy she was helping with his multiplication. Mrs. Fong waved a hand from the door, gesturing for her to come closer.

"Miss Li's in trouble," sang the student beside her, and several children giggled.

"Shush. Work on your assignment." She gave the children a good-natured frown before moving towards the older woman.

Ling glanced at her before Mrs. Fong shut the door and turned to introduce her to the man standing in the hall. "Miss Li, this is Councilman Tarrlok from Republic City's ruling council. He has informed me that he wishes to speak with you in private."

"Thank you, Mrs. Fong. This hallway is private enough." He bowed to short woman as she left them to discuss matters.

As soon as Mrs. Fong had disappeared around the corner, the councilman addressed her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Li."

"Nice to meet you." Li returned the small bow Tarrlok gave, and smiled politely to mask her confusion at his summoning. She wasn't sure why the councilman wanted to speak with her, but she decided to keep wary around him. The majority of politicians she heard about back at home were more infamous than popular, so it was possible his reasons for being here were not good.

"I hear from Mr. and Mrs. Fong that you're doing well in your teaching position, and seem to have adjusted to life here in Republic City." His voice was smooth and almost conversational, as if he was an old friend catching up on recent events.

"Yes, I really like the city. It's a challenge though, getting used to a new place." It wasn't really a lie. She liked Republic City; some of the citizens, however, were held in an entirely different regard.

"Hmm, I know what you mean," commented Tarrlok, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I noticed you were experiencing some problems in the newspaper."

"O-oh, yes, that," she stumbled slightly, immediately putting up her defenses. _Is this what he wanted to speak to me about?_ "I hope that's all over."

"Dealing with the Triple Threat Triad and the Equalists in your first week can be very trying, I'm sure."

Li chose to keep her mouth shut.

"Did you forget that there were other witnesses that night?" Tarrlok wondered, lowering his voice. He paused again, and still no reply. "You failed to mention the Equalists in your report to the police, Miss Li. After reading through the accounts in the file, your recollection was the only one out of place. Why did you protect them?"

Li had unconsciously balled her hands into fists; her heart was beating faster with every word the councilman spoke. She hadn't thought about the accounts of the other people there. At the time, she had been so worried about herself that she forgot about everyone else. "I can't answer that."

Tarrlok frowned at her response.

"I don't know how to answer that," she said, unwilling to look him in the eye.

"Did you know," the man went on slowly as if speaking to a child, "that cooperation and association with the Equalists is now being treated as criminal activity? The Council voted upon it earlier today." Although Tarrlok's voice remained soft and even, there was something darker behind it. His words were full of malicious intention, hidden behind a sympathetic countenance.

In that utterance, Li realized that the councilman was threatening her. "Why are you here?" Her voice was tight but controlled.

"I am here to discuss the Equalists." He took a step towards her, and she realized that her back was against the wall. "What really happened that night? I _know_ you were with the Equalists."

"I'm not with them!" Emotion heightened her voice, and she swallowed heavily to control it. "I'm not with anyone."

"Yet you're not willing to talk about them," Tarrlok countered.

Li bit her lip. "I don't know anything about them, and that's all I can say."

The councilman tilted his head to the side, gazing at the pattern on the floor. "Lying to the police and fraternizing with the Equalists. You've waded into dangerous territory, Li, and now it seems as though you might sink."

An unpleasant chill went down her spine when he dropped the form of address he had been using with her. She would have given anything to get out of this conversation; but right now, she was the only one who could save herself.

"You've made your point. Now what do you want from _me_?" If he was there to escort her to the police he would have already done so. For him to continue speaking like this, to threaten her, he must have wanted something in return for not turning her in.

"Finally caught on?" His smile was not nice. "Besides declaring the Equalists a dangerous and criminal group, the Council decided to organize a task force to deal with them." Li felt her stomach twist as Tarrlok continued. "While the task force is publicly fighting the Equalists, I believe aid from an internal source will quicken our victory against their rebellion. That is the job I have in mind for you. Infiltrate the Equalist movement and report everything to me, and I will make sure the police do not any reason to come for you."

"Why not report the police?"

"Who do you think is in charge of the task force, and taking out the Equalists?"

Her next question was hesitant. "And what would stop me from leaving Republic City or telling a member of the Equalists about your plan?"

Tarrlok leaned in closer to her, his eyes narrowing and voice turning cold as she pushed herself as flat as she could against the wall. "Make one wrong move, put one step out of line, and I'll make sure that you never see the light of day again. That is a _promise_." He straightened and smoothed his robe, his posture and facial features relaxing, although the atmosphere remained tense. "Are you in or out?"

_I can't do this. I can't do what he's asking. But… He's a councilman, and I'm a citizen; he has all the authority. If I run, he'll send the police after me and lock me up forever. Can he do that?_ She looked away, staring at the end of the hall in thought. Her stomach felt like it had been tied in knot, and she pressed a fist against it to try and ease the discomfort.

Tarrlok was waiting for her answer.

_Maybe if I prove to be horrible at this job, he'll fire me…? But then I'll be in prison, or worse. My future is ruined, no matter which option I choose. I survived being abducted by the Equalists, but I've never been in prison._

The man in front of her gave an impatient sigh and she panicked. "Okay, okay, I'll do it."

* * *

"It's nice having you back to help with the kids," Ling sighed, stretching out on one of the apartment sofas as Li opened the newspaper. "I sometimes wonder how I ever managed to keep order in there without another person's help."

Li hummed in response, looking for an interesting article to try and keep her mind off the day's earlier encounter.

"Hey, I never got the chance to ask you earlier, but what did the councilman want with you? I mean, it's not every day that one of Republic City's leaders turns up for a visit." The question, although innocent, did not help.

"I agreed to keep my eyes open and watch out for any Triad business. If I see anything suspicious I'm supposed to report to the police or the Council." She never told Ling what happened the night she was kidnapped, and she was thankful that her friend hadn't pried for answers. In time, she was sure that the truth would come out; but right now she wasn't ready to share it or her new burden.

The other girl sent her a mischievous grin. "I would have thought it was Bolin, with what you told me earlier."

"No!" She scowled, wondering if her cheeks had turned pink at the mention of the Pro-Bender. It had been a mistake to tell Ling about the Fire Ferrets. Her friend was a huge fan of the team – especially of Bolin – and she hadn't hesitated to hound her about having met him.

"I'm so jealous of you!" Cried the black-haired teenager, whining like a child. "You're even blushing!"

"No I'm not!" She turned her attention back to the newspaper, where a small article caught her eye.

"Equalist interferes with radio broadcast." She mumbled the title out loud. Her eyes darted towards the radio playing music from the corner of the room. It seemed like an interesting little story, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to read it after what she was going to do in the next few days.

"Yeah, I heard about that," Ling spoke up, having thought she was being spoken to. "We must have had the radio turned off at the time. Apparently, one of the regular reporters on the radio was an Equalist, and started spouting out propaganda on one of the main channels. He was praising Amon and stuff like that, and he was going on for about five minutes before the metal benders arrived. They arrested him because – "

Ling suddenly cut off as the radio in the corner made a crackling noise. Both girls turned their attention to the device.

"Good evening, Equalists of Republic City." The hairs on the back of Li's neck stood up at the familiar voice. "This is Amon."

Ling whipped her head around in her direction, making a 'what's going on?' look. She shook her head and kept quiet, the newspaper crinkling in her hands.

"As I'm sure most of you have heard, the Republic Council has recently named us the city's number one threat," Amon continued, "proving that the benders in control of this city are against a world of equality." His voice grew passionate, and Li could hear him smiling at his words. "But the revolution cannot be stopped, as our numbers continue to grow. You do not need to live in fear anymore… Now is the time for benders to live in that fear."

_He does plan on ultimately removing all benders' abilities. _Goosebumps broke out on her exposed skin, and she repressed a shudder. _And the councilman expects me to infiltrate this man's forces? I'm not a bender, and I'm afraid of _him_._

The music came back on, as if the interruption had never occurred.

"I guess they are growing stronger," Ling commented from the other sofa. "Despite what happened yesterday, the Equalists still managed to get on the air. Do you think the police caught them?"

"…No. Probably not." Her reaction was delayed, and she pulled the newspaper in front of her face to hide a nervous frown.


	11. The Rally

**A big thank you to my reviewers: BeccaRomano and irok2hard, and to all those who put this story on their alert/favorite list!**

***I feel that as the author, it is my duty to tell my readers that school is starting (for me, anyway) and therefore, updates will not be as frequent. :( For those who interpret this as: **_**school = story on hiatus**_**, I say, "Nay! I'm having too much fun writing this to drop it!" :D**

**Please read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**.**

* * *

"Hey, Ling, I have to mail something, so don't bother waiting up for me for dinner. I'll stop and grab a bite to eat on the way back." Li held up the letter she had written the night before, addressed to her family. In it she told them about the Fire Ferrets, Ling, and how the job was going. It was an easy decision to leave out the parts about being abducted and threatened; she didn't want them involved in her mess.

"Okay. Just _be careful_, you being danger-prone and all." Ling shook her head as they exited the school building.

_You have no idea…_

"You sound like my parents," she grinned and replaced the letter in her coat pocket. Waving, they went their separate ways.

After a minute of walking, Li glanced behind to make sure her friend was out of sight. Picking up the pace, she pulled out her map and headed for the park. She had every intention of mailing the letter, but not before she made a small detour.

Before she could infiltrate the Equalists, she needed to find them. Tarrlok told her the other day that one of the noisiest Equalist propaganda stands was in the park – though it had likely been taken down after the Council's announcement. Still, it wouldn't hurt to start her search there.

When she reached the park, she untied her hair and pulled up the collar of her jacket. There wasn't much she could do to try and protect her identity, so she had to settle with little adjustments. The sun had just set meaning the only sources of illumination in the park were the lamps, giving her the advantage of shadows.

Keeping her hands in her pockets, she started off down the park trail. The only people she passed were a couple sitting on a bench and a strolling policeman on the night shift. It was when she was walking over a bridge that she noticed a small structure ahead of her, partially hidden by the trees.

_Maybe…_ Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she jogged over to investigate. A sturdy wooden table stood before a large print of Amon and the Equalist symbol, make-shift flag poles on either side. Checking out the table and banner, she found nothing. _So much for thinking they would leave behind clues._

Stepping back and frowning at the banner, she tried to think of another area to look around. _Bolin mentioned being in a warehouse of some kind. It's in the open, in a manner of speaking, but no one would think to look there for the Equalists. They have to have some kind of place where they can meet and still spread their ideals to the public. Some place quiet…_

Stiffening slightly, she turned her head a fraction to the side, noticing another person on the path walking in her direction. She had been standing in front of the propaganda stand for a couple of minutes now; it was too late to act like she was just passing by.

_Act like you're waiting for a friend._ Leaning on one leg, she gave what she hoped looked like a casual glance to the path on both sides of her.

_Yeah, meeting someone in front of an Equalist propaganda stand,_ she realized the flaw in her thinking. _That doesn't seem suspicious at all._

Pulling her leg back, she gave the dirt a few small kicks with the toe of her shoe. _Just leave me alone,_ she prayed as the person drew closer.

When the person was within a couple of feet, she crossed her arms and gave an impatient sigh, looking from side to side again. Listening to their footsteps, her heart skipped a beat when they stopped behind her.

"Interested in the Equalists?" Came a soft masculine voice.

_Am I that easy to read?_ She wondered before deciding to address the speaker. Turning half-way in his direction and keeping her head down, she shrugged. "Perhaps."

Taking a risk, she asked, "Are you?"

"Yes." He did not hesitate to answer, and his voice remained calm.

When it became apparent that she was not going to say anything else, he spoke again. "Quite a cloudy evening. I don't particularly like overcast skies, but, sometimes I suppose it can't be helped."

Li glanced at the sky before nodding. She hadn't thought to bring an umbrella in case it rained.

"Not a good night for star gazing. If you ask me, the best place to watch sunsets and see the stars come out is at the harbor. Not many people know about it since they usually watch the sun set over the mountains, but tomorrow, I'll be there."

The man grunted, a frown coming into his voice. "Eh, looks like it's going to rain soon. Better get going before you get wet," he advised. "See ya." Then he was walking away.

Li turned after a few seconds, watching the stranger get smaller and smaller until he was out of sight. _That was…odd._

She cast one last glance at the Equalist banner before heading for the park exit. There was still the letter to mail, and she was getting hungry.

_He said he was interested in the Equalists, but then went on to talk about the stars and the weather. Or was it something else?_

For a moment she paused, pulling out her map to find the post office. Fortunately, it wasn't far from the park.

_He said he'd be at the harbor tomorrow to watch the sunset. Most people don't tell a stranger where they're going the next day. Something or someone must be at the harbor… Equalists…? That makes sense – he said not many people know about it. The Equalists don't want their upcoming operations to be publicly displayed anymore since yesterday._

The post office's sign was visible now, and tucking away her map, she retrieved her letter and the money it would cost to send it.

_Sunset at the harbor. I'll be there._

* * *

Li exhaled slowly and leaned back in her chair, having finished explaining things to Ling's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wu. The four of them were gathered around a small table in the outdoor seating area of a pastry shop, and although it was lunch time, no one ordered anything.

"Oh, you poor dear," Mrs. Wu sympathized, while Mr. Wu remained silent, his expression revealing nothing.

They were exactly as Ling had described to her: Mrs. Wu was very sentimental and wore her thoughts on her sleeve; Mr. Wu came from a disciplined family and was therefore always serious-minded. There couldn't be two more spouses on such opposite ends of the personality spectrum.

Ling sat quietly, lost in thought. It took Li all of five seconds to realize that her friend took after her mother, but there were a few moments such as this when her father's genes came through.

Li had chosen to recall some of the events that occurred the night she was kidnapped – including the fact the she was kidnapped, although she did not mention the Equalists.

"Your situation is quite unfortunate, giving that you moved here less than a couple of weeks ago." Mr. Wu said after a few seconds of contemplation. "I understand Ling's concern and your own, and why you have turned to us for help." He glanced at his wife, as if addressing her as well. "We can speak with Master Sato, but you must remember that he is the one who will make the decision of whether to hire you or not."

"I'm sure Master Sato will accept you," Mrs. Wu put in. "He is a good man."

Her husband sent her a stern look. "We cannot make any promises. Should you be hired, Master Sato may wish to meet you in person or have one of the butlers, besides myself, assess you. Whatever he decides, we will contact you as soon as possible, as I'm sure you're very eager for an answer."

* * *

With the days growing chillier, Li decided to wear a wool hat along with her jacket to the harbor. If she wound up getting lost, she didn't want to be wandering around in the sea breeze without the proper attire.

Having excused herself before dinner, she returned to the apartment to grab her garments before heading out again. Ling was still visiting with her parents, and it was likely she wouldn't be back until later in the evening.

The harbor was easy enough to find considering its size; however, this presented a problem. The man had not specified where at the harbor – if she was intended to go to the harbor – the Equalists would be.

Heaving an exasperated sigh, she chose to go right over going left, hoping and dreading she would find who she was looking for. Most of the ships anchored at the dock were empty, but it was unlikely the Equalists would be in one of them; if caught, their only option would be to swim away. Instead, she turned her attention to the land. There were plenty of workshops and ship-building factories at the harbor, and she determined that they would be the best places to gather in.

A majority of the buildings she looked in were filled with ship parts or fishing equipment, and it wasn't until she was almost half way down the right side of the harbor that she came upon something different.

A large man stood at door like a bouncer, and unlike the other buildings she had passed, tarps hung inside the windows to prevent outsiders from peering in. As two young women approached the building, the man spoke up.

Li ducked behind the corner of the building beside them, watching as the women stopped in front of the man. One woman replied, but her voice did not carry to her hiding spot. Her words must have satisfied the man, for he smiled and gestured to the door, and the women disappeared inside the building.

_Is this it?_ Li looked from the building to the large man, trying to find a sign or connection with the Equalists. _The building looks like every other building at the harbor except for the windows, so there must be something about the man._

She thought back to the banner in the park and studied the man's appearance. _Black pants, brown jacket, white shirt, dark hair…_ She squinted harder in the fading light. _Brown or black shoes… There's a red pocket on his jacket… That red… Amon's mask and that Equalist symbol!_

Taking a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, she stepped away from the building. The man caught sight of her instantly, and she tried to keep her expression calm when approaching.

The red pocket was actually a patch sewn on to the right-side chest of his jacket, made to look as if he had originally torn the fabric and crudely stitched repairs on his own.

"This is private property," he informed her in a deep voice that complemented his intimidating visage.

The teenager's heart was beating so loud, she was surprised she heard him. There was no telling what kind of response the man was looking for – she only knew from observing the women that she was supposed to say something. "I-I was told that this is a good place to watch the sunset and stars come out, even though not many people know about it."

The man grinned down at her, and it seemed more natural on his face than the serious frown he had been showing. "New?"

She managed an anxious smile and nodded, afraid she would blow her cover if she said anything more.

The big man chuckled and gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. "You're welcome to join us, sister. Just follow the lights." He removed his hand from her shoulder and waved at the door.

"Thank you." The words came out in a whisper, and she moved around the large man to open the door and slip inside. There was a hallway to her left, the darkness chased away by small gas lamps on the wall. _Follow the lights, he said._

The hall turned right at one point, and at the end of the walk was a door. Hesitantly, she opened it a crack and peeking into the room before joining the large crowd. A couple of heads turned in the back as she entered, but no one pointed her out as a spy for the councilman like she half-expected them to.

The room was about the size of the training hall in the Pro-Bending Arena, though the ceiling was lower. At the far end was a stage, where overhead lights shone down on several figures.

Peering over the heads and shoulders of at least one hundred people, her eyes came to rest on the masked man holding a microphone and standing at the front of the stage.

"The Republic Council does not wish for there to be equality because equality means peace; and what better time to grab power and oppress the masses than when the world is at war and in conflict – when people look for a hero? The benders cannot rule unless they use force – unless they use bending for their own gain."

_He's a good speaker. It's _scary_ how good he is._

Amon took a few steps back and pointed at two men kneeling and bound in rope on one side of the stage, Equalists in gas-masks standing guard close by. "These men, members of the Triple Threat Triad, use this method of coercion and extortion on a daily basis, threatening family, friends, and businesses for money and power." Although his air was disapproving, his voice was even-tempered.

A few of the audience members booed and jeered at the gang members, whose expressions vacillated between anger and fear.

Like most of the other occupants of the room, Li found she was unable to take her eyes off Amon.

Instead of going on a tirade about benders, the Equalist leader was presenting his arguments and providing examples to back them up. Giving speeches in such a way revealed he thought things through, that he was _smart_. The man was also aware of his tone of voice, never speaking in a sarcastic or pitying manner. It was the same voice he had used when talking with her in the prison cell.

There was no denying Amon was a charismatic leader; it was understandable that the Equalists were gaining followers.

_And he has a point._ The thought worried Li, and she hugged herself as if the room was suddenly cold. _He's right about many benders – maybe not every bender in the world – but _here_, in Republic City. There's the Triad and other bending gangs, Tarrlok definitely, and… The majority, if not all, of the police force are benders – one could argue that all the positions of authority are being filled by benders…_

"To destroy this method, we must confront its source."

People nodded and muttered in agreement.

Amon handed the microphone over to a masked Equalist, and the room quieted down.

Even without the device, Li could still hear his voice at the back of the room, though it was much softer. "The time for fear is over, my friends." He nodded to an Equalist guard, who then untied one of the benders and pushed him towards Amon.

The man took a step back as Amon stepped forward, only to look over his shoulder and see several masked Equalists lined up to prevent him from running away. With a desperate shout, he slammed his foot against the stage, earthen pillars of various sizes breaking through the wood and heading for the Equalist leader.

The audience gasped and Amon ran forward, dodging the earthen columns as they protruded from the floor. More pointed columns shot up but proved ineffective as he closed the gap between him and the Triad member.

The earth bender threw a punch at the masked man, who ducked to the side, pushing his opponent's extended arm away and leaving his back open. A firm hand gripped the back of the neck, forcing in onto his knees.

Li didn't look away, couldn't even blink as she watched the fight come to a quick close. She had never seen a non-bender take down a bender before; it wasn't impossible, but to do it so swiftly and with such ease…

Amon's other hand reached forward, his thumb touching the earth bender's forehead. The man opened his mouth in a silent scream, and a moment later fell forward.

A pair of Equalists stepped up to remove the now bending-less Triad member from the damaged stage.

"Next." It would have sounded arrogant if it was anyone but Amon speaking.

The crowd erupted in cheers as the other bender was untied.

Li let her mouth hang open, not caring if she looked ridiculous, considering half of those watching the scene wore a similar expression. _He really can take away someone's bending! Amon told me himself, and Bolin also said so, but that's…!_ She allowed the thought to die, too awed by the Equalist leader's ability.

In minutes, the water bender was stripped of his bending, and Li managed to close her mouth. Hoping to fit in with everyone else, she applauded, at the same time secretly approving of Amon's de-bending the Triad members.

Having the severely shaken man taken off the stage, Amon addressed the audience a final time. "Go out with hope, my fellow Equalists, for the time is nearing when all of Republic City will acknowledge our purpose."

The cheering went on for another couple of minutes before people began to head for the door. Li moved toward the wall, letting a group of Equalists exit ahead of her.

The rally was over, but a number of people remained chatting amongst themselves.

Glancing at the front of the room, she saw Amon jump down from the remains of the platform and into the crowd. It was slightly impressive, considering he risked getting mobbed by supporters.

About five minutes passed before another handful of citizens left. _The Equalists don't want to draw attention to themselves or this building, so they're monitoring when and how many of them leave at a time. I'll leave with the next round._

Inching closer to a group forming by the door, she slipped in, exiting with them at the predetermined time.

It was hard to refrain from running once she was out in the chilly air, but she managed to casually walk away until the building was out of sight. And then she leaned against the nearest wall, letting her pounding heart slow and the adrenaline leave her veins. Infiltration was exciting – maybe even a little fun – but more than anything, terrifying.

_So what am I supposed to tell Tarrlok? Everything Amon said and did, Tarrlok already knows about. There was that part about the Equalists' purpose being acknowledged by all of Republic City? It sounds like something big is coming, but I don't know what that is. I guess I can always tell him where the Equalists are rallying, assuming they regularly meet there… But this is only a day after their activity became illegal!_

She pulled off her hat and scratched her head in frustration, worry beginning to twist in her gut. _Darn it! What good is this information if it's not reliable? I don't have access to the Equalists' plans!_

Her head snapped to the side at the echoing of running feet. Pushing herself from the wall, she faced the direction of the noise as a man appeared from behind the building corner.

"Hey!" He called, jogging towards her and coming to a stop, panting heavily.

Li pulled her hat back on so that both of her hands were empty. Her eyes flickered to the street beside her, where satomobiles passed before going back to the man. If he tried anything, people would see she assured herself, but did not relax.

The man shifted so that her face was illuminated by the street light. "Your name's Li, right?"

She kept her emotions in check. "How do you know my name?"

He couldn't have been older than twenty-five, his dark hair cut short, and a scar on his chin. His clothes were a little disheveled, as if he had been in a rush when putting them on. Passing him on the street, one would think him the type that had been in a few fist fights.

_Surely we have never met?_

"This is awkward," he grumbled, rubbing his arm and looking everywhere but at her. "Look, I saw you at the rally but I didn't recognize you until you were leaving. I came to apologize. I'm the Equalist who attacked you at the Lotus Apartments. Please forgive me for wrongly hurting you." He bowed lowly, and even though his voice was rough there was sincerity in it.

Her mouth opened in surprise, as she searched for words. None came to mind.

"I saw one of the Triad members take money from you, and I made an assumption," the man explained, straightening. "It looked to me like you were with them, so I stopped you from escaping."

Li's inclination was to tell the man to not worry about it, that he was just doing his job and made a simple mistake; but then she realized that although it was unintentional, he was responsible for setting into play all the events that had happened since their first meeting. Anger stirred in her chest, and she found herself unable to let it go so easily.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, expression hardening, "but I'm not ready to forgive you yet; maybe one day, but not right now."

The man's shoulders drooped and he looked over at the passing satomobiles, expression annoyed. Although Li was sure her words hurt him, he seemed more angry than guilty.

For a few seconds they stood in silence on the sidewalk, and she briefly wondered if he was going to punch her. He sure _looked_ like he wanted to. Then again, maybe his tough appearance was inadvertently deceiving her?

_Now would be a good time to walk away, but…_

It felt wrong leaving with such a cold first impression. "Just give me some time, okay? This isn't easy for me, either. But I do appreciate you coming out here and apologizing." Hoping to ease the tension, she asked, "What's your name?"

The Equalist looked up, his frown not as deep. "Jiro."

A small smile formed on Li's face; she felt quite brave and proud for standing up to the man, even if her anger was responsible for her reaction. Holding out a hand, she met his gaze. If she was going to start hanging out around the Equalists, it might not be a bad idea to get on their good side.

Jiro accepted her smaller hand and firmly shook it.

"A bit of a rocky start," she muttered, "but nice to meet you."

"Yeah. Same." He offered her a real grin.

_The Republic Council pegged the Equalists as criminals, but they don't seem like bad people with evil intentions_, she realized.

Dropping Jiro's hand, she stuffed her hands in her pockets as she asked the next question. "Uh, about the rally… Is there something like that every Saturday? It-it's my first time going to one." Her fingers curled and uncurled in apprehension that he would think her suspicious.

However, Jiro mistook her discomfort for embarrassment. "Hey, it's okay if you're new. Things are changing since the Council doesn't approve of us, so at the moment we're playing it by ear as far as rallies are concerned. For now, when Amon tells us about a rally, we tell those we know are interested or those who seem curious, and they pass it on. I don't know when the next one is though, since we're only informed about two days beforehand."

She nodded, processing the information.

Crossing his arms, Jiro gave his broad shoulders a shrug. "You know, if you're interested, I can contact you when the time of the next rally is decided."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it wouldn't be a problem." His attitude was nonchalant, but Li could sense some pride behind it. He didn't mind showing off a bit.

"That would be very helpful. Thank you." She smiled shyly.

A clock chimed and they both listened for the time. Eight o'clock.

"I need to start heading back now," she said told the man.

Jiro nodded in understanding. "Alright. Where do you live?" At her sudden blush he furiously shook his head and re-worded his question. "I mean, where can I find you if you want to know about the rallies?"

"Oh… I work at _Fong_ _Academy_ – the elementary school by the harbor, five days a week."

"I'll remember that," Jiro assured her. "So, I'll see you later?"

She nodded and smiled, the pink gone from her cheeks. _Just please don't show up looking like you do now – people will think I take part in street fights._

* * *

**Amon! Why must your awesomeness be so hard to write!? *bangs head against wall and screams***

**The Fire Ferrets **_**will**_** be in the next chapter – of this, I am certain…**


	12. The Gala

**Thank you to my reviewers: EmmberlyneRiddle, nadzuke eno mono, BeccaRomano, irok2hard, and Guest! And a tip of my hat to those of you who put this story on your alert/favorite list! :)**

**Huzzah! At last, an update! I figured I should get this chapter out before diving back into the busy world of academics, as I cannot say when the next chapter will be released.**

**Please read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**.**

* * *

"There was an Equalist who talked to me at the end, and he said could tell me the next time there's a rally if I was interested. I said I was and after that I went home." Li finished reporting all that had happened in the past two nights. She was in Tarrlok's office (more like hall), standing at the front of his desk while he remained sitting; he hadn't offered her a chair.

"What was the man's name?"

She shook her head. "I don't know," she lied.

"How will he contact you?"

"He said he'd find me at my job. He recognized me, but I didn't recognize him."

"Did he say anything else?" Tarrlok narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

_Maybe my answers are too unnatural? That last one was kind of creepy sounding – like he's some kind of stalker._

"He said they…" Trying to remember Jiro's words, she spoke slowly. "The Equalists are playing it by ear now that they can't be public with their announcements. It's short notice when and where they meet."

The frown did not leave the councilman's face. "Why didn't you say any of this earlier? Must I waste my time with questions to get everything out of you?"

Li gave no reply and lowered her gaze to the floor. The action wasn't motivated so much by shame as it was by panic for getting caught leaving out details.

"The task force and police need solid information in order to take action against the Equalists, and every little bit helps. We can't wholly rely on speculation. Are you sure that location by the port is near where the meeting was held?"

Her hands were sweating, but she nodded. Having consulted one of the maps of Republic City in Tarrlok's desk, they had narrowed down the location of the rally to five buildings.

"And the windows were completely covered? Every single one?"

"Yes," she confirmed, sure of the building's appearance. _Maybe I'm not that courageous, but I'm not stupid. I stared at the building for about five minutes before I worked up the nerve to approach it, and you're doubting me?_

Tarrlok scribbled something on the paper in front of him, on which he had been taking notes during her recollection. Finishing another note, he looked up. "Is that _all_?" It sounded like he expected ten more comments to come from her.

_I only went to one rally – what did you expect me to learn: every dark secret of theirs?_

"That is all."

_Now please dismiss me._

Tarrlok put down his pen and folded his arms. "It's a start, but not enough. This man who spoke to you might be a good source of information. Do you think you can get some answers out of him?"

_Jiro may like to show off that he's privy to more information because of his "job" with the Equalists, but I don't think he's as loose-lipped as you seem think he is. Amon must trust him with that position, which says something. Just because he's brawny doesn't mean there isn't any brains to him._

"I don't know."

The man let out a tired sigh. "Very well. I assumed that was the answer I'd get." His countenance turned cold a moment later, something malignant flashing in his eyes. "You need to dig deeper into their organization. I need there to be certainty and usefulness in the information you gather."

_But you were just saying every little bit of information helps?_ Li's hands gripped the hem of her jacket, tugging at it. It was difficult not to give up now and let herself be taken to prison. Feeling like a spy was exciting the night before, but to keep pushing her luck… _The closer I get, the more likely I am to meet Amon and risk being exposed. Jiro's probably curious why I'm hanging around the Equalists in the first place, after what happened…_

"The man – use him to settle you into their ranks. If he already has access to more information than others, then befriend him, and work your way into a position that will also get you that information before it reaches the ears of others." The councilman smirked. "I'm sure you've heard of keeping friends close, and enemies closer?"

Li looked away from the politician, unable to hide her uncertainty. _That would take time; and the Council wants the Equalists taken care of as soon as possible._

Tarrlok saw her hesitation and leaned forward, voice threatening. "You _will_ do this, Li. Perhaps, if your own safety is not enough to motivate you, I should investigate that co-worker of yours. Or perhaps Amon's influence has even spread to your home town?"

"No," she whispered, eyes widening in concern.

Tarrlok put on a small smile, his voice softening. "Well then, I think we've covered everything?" His eyebrows rose questioningly, but she remained silent. "Yes? Then I'll meet you at this time next Monday and see if you've made any progress."

Li forgot to bow, torn between rage and fear as she exited the room.

* * *

"Do you want to go see the Fire Ferrets?" Ling asked from across the lunch table, trying to pull off a casual tone but failing to hide her enthusiasm.

Pushing a spoon-full of soup into her mouth to hide a teasing smile, Li shrugged. _She just wants to see Bolin._

Shifting her eyes from her friend's eager face and to the bowl of soup before her, she swallowed. "I don't know. Since I'm not sure what early afternoon schedule they're on, I wouldn't want to bother them or disrupt something important."

If Ling didn't stop looking at her like that, she felt certain she would laugh, so she focused on her meal.

"You sure?" The teenager sounded so hopeful.

"Yeah. We can go visit some other time." It was hard to keep her voice steady, and she dared not look at Ling.

A dejected moan came from the young woman opposite her. "You promise?" She sounded like a pouting child.

"Yes, I promise we will go see them… in a Pro-Bending match."

"No!" Ling protested – although she had started laughing – as Li nearly choked on a carrot slice, coughing and unable to hold back laughter.

"You just want to take all the cute guys for yourself! I bet that's where you were this morning!" Ling accused, stabbing a spoon in her direction.

For a moment, Li forgot that her friend was joking, and her face went blank from the memory of that morning's conversation.

Ling's laughing fit quieted after a couple more seconds, and a curious frown was aimed in her direction. "What is it?"

The far-off look in her eyes faded and she shrugged, giving half a smile to her companion. "Just thinking. And before you say anything else, _no_, I was _not_ thinking about the Fire Ferrets."

* * *

A loud knocking on the bedroom door interrupted Li's reading, and she shoved her bookmark in place before turning her attention to the door.

The sliding door banged against the wall as Ling entered, bouncing on her feet in excitement. "Mr. Sato says he'll hire you!" She announced.

Li was out of her chair in an instant, the book that had been in her lap falling to the floor. "Are you serious?"

Ling nodded. "That was my dad on the phone. Mr. Sato says you can work, but you're going to have to prove that you can handle it first."

"How so?" She felt a sudden pang of anxiety at the thought of a preliminary examination.

"There's going to be a Gala tomorrow evening at Republic Hall for the Avatar. I might get to go!" Ling hugged herself and swayed back and forth happily.

When the teenager didn't say anything more, Li bobbed her head. "And… me?"

"You're going to have to do some catering, and if you can handle that, he'll employ you! It'll be easy!"

"I've never done something like that before," she warned her friend.

"So you dress up all nice and give out drinks and hor d'oeuvres – think of it like preparing for a family reunion." Ling walked over and shook her slowly by the shoulders. "That stuff is easy! Why are you worrying about something so easy?" She let out a dramatic sigh before laughing at her contemplative expression. "And you have to go around with a hoity-toity air since you'll probably be around nobles, so work on your arrogant face."

"You've done this stuff before." Li mused.

"They needed an extra pair of hands when one of the butlers fell down the stairs."

After a couple of seconds, she realized Ling was being serious. "I can already see you," she mumbled, shaking her head once her friend had stopped yanking her back and forth. "I'll have to make sure I look like I'm not associated with you in any way."

"That'll be hard to do if we have matching uniforms."

Li stopped teasing for a moment at a thought. "Wait, the Gala's tomorrow? We're working tomorrow aren't we?"

"We'll be out by the time it starts." Ling waved a dismissive hand at her worry. "The Gala doesn't begin until seven, but you need to be there at five-thirty."

"I thought you were coming too?"

Ling folded her arms and turned her chin up in a superior manner, as though she were looking down on her. "They do not _require_ my assistance until _six_. See, you have to talk like that – all that emphasis on random words."

"Honestly, I think you're making this up. The earliest we can get out of work is at five, assuming all the parents have picked up their kids; I may have to run to get there in time."

"Then you'd better bring running shoes and a map, knowing your sense of direction." Ling grinned and ducked as a pillow was thrown at her head.

* * *

Panting heavily and wiping at the sweat that had begun to form on her brow, Li stuffed the map into her pocket and hurried up the steps to the two large doors of Republic Hall. She knew she was at the right place because of the two large banners hanging on either side of the doors depicting Korra. In her opinion it looked tacky – like Korra was some kind of art exhibit – but she wasn't going to tell anyone that.

Pushing open one of the doors, she walked into the empty main hall. Taking in the architectural detail and lavish yet sparse furnishings, her eyes came to rest on the far end of the hall, where a door was propped open, muffled voices coming from behind it.

Straightening her clothes and running a hand through her hair to make sure it was tame, she headed for the door.

The smell of food permeated her senses when she was within five feet of the doorway, and upon peeking around the corner, she found a kitchen. It seemed like a strange room to have in the city hall, but perhaps galas were common-place events here?

Six chefs dressed in white uniforms walked back and forth, taking out pots, pulling wine from the racks, pushing trays of dough into the enormous oven. One of the chefs looked up expectantly when he noticed her standing at the door.

"What do you need?" He asked quickly, taking a few steps towards her.

"I was told to come here to help with the gala?"

"You want to talk to Mrs. Zhong about that." He pointed at a closed door to her left. "She should be in one of those rooms."

"Thank you," Li nodded, following his directions and slipping past another chef to reach the door. Passing through and closing it firmly behind her, she found three more doors and knocked on the one she heard noises coming from.

"Come in!" Someone shouted on the other side, and she pushed the door open to enter a room filled with clothing racks and boxes marked in different colors. An older woman with tightly bound grey hair and a thin face watched her as she hesitantly walked in.

"Excuse me, are you Mrs. Zhong?"

The woman gave a curt nod as she strode over to one of the opened boxes, pulling out silver eating utensils.

"My name is Li Shen," she gave a small bow, "and I was asked to help with the gala tonight."

"Yes. I remember Mr. Wu mentioning you." Mrs. Zhong took her attention from the box and directed it at the teenager. "Have you done this sort of work before?"

"No," Li admitted, embarrassed.

Mrs. Zhong nodded, her face unreadable. "Well then, find a uniform your size." She cocked her head in the direction of the clothes racks. "Women's is on the left. You may change in the bathroom. Come back here when you're done." The older woman went back to the boxes, leaving Li to get ready on her own.

* * *

"Alright, ladies. The guests are beginning to arrive." Mrs. Zhong raised her voice to be heard over the chattering young women in uniforms, who fell silent at her words. "Go and find your platters. Make sure you do not crowd, and remember not to serve everything at once; go in rounds."

The young women bustled out of the room and down the hallway, heading for the kitchen.

"Miss Shen, do you remember what I told you?" The older woman fixed a stern eye on Li, who was leaving with the others.

"Yes, Mrs. Zhong."

"I will be watching. Do not disappoint me."

Li swallowed heavily and nodded, moving into the hall to get away from the elderly woman. Mrs. Zhong wasn't mean, but she was strict, which did make one feel pressured in her presence.

Pulling at the green vest over her brown long-sleeved shirt, she felt the heat from the kitchen wash over her like a wave. _I hope I don't have to spend that much time in here. Why couldn't there be a lighter uniform?_

"Li! Hey, Li!"

Hearing her name, she looked around the bustling kitchen and saw Ling waving at her from the sink. Smiling, she waved back. _Looks like she's standing in as a dish washer,_ she noted, looking at her friend's shirt, which had water and soaps suds on the front. _I guess she got demoted._

The crowd of young women around the counter began to lessen as half walked out with their balanced trays of hor d'oeuvres and beverages.

"It's early, so they'll probably back in about fifteen minutes," a woman a couple of years older than Li spoke to her friend.

"They're leaving us to get caught in the frenzy," the other girl rolled her eyes and chuckled.

_That's not what I want to hear when I'm being observed!_ Li fanned herself with a hand, trying not to look anxious. A minute later she was distracted by a presence beside her, who she was sure had snuck away from their post.

"Hey, how are things going?" Ling's mannerism suggested she was trying not to be seen whispering to her friend instead of doing her job. However, their conversation probably wouldn't last long, on account that her whisper had to be loud in order to be audible.

"Okay so far. They had me wipe down a couple of tables and unpack some of the dining supplies – glasses and that sort of stuff."

"Well, I'm sure they'll have you start working soon." Ling gave her a comforting nudge with her elbow since her hands were covered in soap, and Li wondered if her friend had actually been able to hear her over the kitchen noise.

"Oh shoot!" Ling suddenly darted away and snatched an empty glass off the counter as a large man dressed in a chef's uniform approached.

"There was dirt on it!" Ling shouted, holding up the glass in a soapy hand to show the head chef and pointing at the glasses sitting beside her friend.

Li quickly turned around and stifled a laugh, hoping the big man had not seen them conversing.

"You're new right? You wanna go ahead and get your first round over with?" The girl on her other side asked, pointing at the door leading from the kitchen to the main room.

"Okay," she nodded quickly and picked up the tray of wine glasses slid in her direction, cursing her luck that there wasn't a something easier to balance instead.

An older woman by the exit pulled the door open when she got close, and she gave a slight nod of thanks. _Thank goodness I'm not wearing heels! Just don't hold the tray too high and make sure you smile!_

She carefully stepped into the main hall, deciding she would ignore Ling's earlier advice of holding a pompous air. Around the growing number of finely dressed guests went the other waitresses, slipping into social circles and weaving among people like serpents.

_Nothing but nobles who won't remember my face,_ she tried to assure herself. _RELAX._

Letting out a long breath, she put on what she hoped was a polite smile and approached the nearest couple. "Would you care for some wine?" She inquired of the elderly nobles, giving a little bow as Mrs. Zhong had instructed.

"Yes, thank you." The man reached out and picked up a glass with a graceful sweep of his arm that Li was sure she could never imitate. His wife did the same, giving her a small nod.

Li bowed again, grateful that a little bit of the weight had been removed from her carrying arm. Even if someone didn't accept a glass, she was expected to bow; it must have had something to do with making nobles feel more important, having someone bow whenever they were approached.

_Too much bowing,_ Li internally groaned as she moved on to another couple.

Ten bows later and her tray was almost empty. _Find another group of three and you can give your arm a break._ She slowly turned around in search of someone who didn't have a beverage in hand.

"Can I have one?" The masculine voice was less formal and as Li turned to tell the person he could, she nearly dropped the tray.

Briefly forgetting her calm mask, her eyes widened and she pointed at him with her free hand.

"Oh!" Bolin's mouth opened and he leaned back in surprise.

Steadying the hand holding the tray, Li blushed and moved it away from the Pro-Bender. "I-i-it's wine." She stuttered out, not looking at his face. "I-I didn't know you were invited," she quickly changed topics.

The teenager went with it, not seeming to mind the opportunity for conversation. "Yeah, Mako and Korra are here too. Well, of course Korra's here, this whole thing is for her, but we got invited too – probably because of Mako's girlfriend. Can you believe he's seeing Asami Sato?" He gasped at the last sentence, as if such a thing were impossible.

"_Really_?! Huh." Another question was on the tip of her tongue when it hit her that she wasn't supposed to be gossiping on the job. Mrs. Zhong said she would be watching. "I've got to go," she bowed, glancing at her tray of wine glasses and then around the room.

"Oh, yeah, no problem." Boling bowed back, much to her amusement and greater embarrassment.

_What are you doing!? I'm a waitress! You're not supposed to bow to the waitress!_ She somehow managed to keep her newly situated polite face in check and moved away from the teenager. She could only pray the strict woman hadn't seen them and that none of the other young women she was working with would bring up her talking to the Pro-Bender.

* * *

It was after Li left the kitchen on her second round that she saw Councilman Tarrlok in the throng of nobles with Korra at his side.

Smile faltering, she kept the water tribe natives in sight while offering cookies to the groups nearby, turning away whenever the councilman looked in her direction. She was determined to do everything in her power to keep the distance between them, although intentionally tripping and throwing a tray of food in Tarrlok's face was a very tempting prospect.

After a few minutes, the councilman ushered the Avatar away from the nobles, seemingly heading for the adjacent room behind where she was currently standing.

Pulse quickening, she spun away and presented her tray of cookies to the closest social circle, hoping Tarrlok would not notice her.

When a minute had passed without any interruption, Li left the group and peered around the doorway. Korra and the councilman were descending a stairway, and leaning a little farther into the room, she saw a flock of reporters rush to the base of the staircase, voices raised in questioning.

Glancing back into the main hall, she made sure no one was watching before turning back to the source of her curiosity.

Tarrlok's voice echoed through the room, reaching her ears. "If you wouldn't mind answering a few questions, Korra; they were very insistent." He gave her a push forward as the first reporter called out, questioning the Equalists' level of danger to the public.

"Amon is definitely a threat," Korra haltingly answered after clearing her throat, for the first time sounding unconfident.

Li frowned, inching closer as Tarrlok turned his head, and another reporter asked his question. "Why don't you take an offensive stance against the Equalists then, such as that of the task force?"

"I don't – "

"So you're backing out of your duty as the Avatar?" The reporter fired back with barely a pause. A number of guests in the room were beginning to gather behind the reporters, eager to listen in on the interview.

_When did they get here? Is anyone covering that room, or should I go in?_ Li wondered, raising a curious brow at the bystanders.

Korra's frustrated voice brought her out of her thoughts, and Tarrlok tilted his head to the side.

"Are you making Pro-Bending a priority?"

Her eyes flickered from the reporter to Tarrlok.

"Do you think Avatar Aang would have joined Tarrlok's task force?"

_I know what he's doing…!_

"Are you afraid of facing Amon?" Another man called over the rising hum of reporters and bystanders.

"You better get moving. You've been out longer than you should have." Li started at the voice by her side, only for a young woman in uniform to walk away carrying her tray.

_Shoot! Did Mrs. Zhong notice?_ Reluctantly she took slow steps away from the doorway, ears straining to hear the remainder of what was being said.

"If the city needs my help, then… I'll join the task force to fight Amon and the Equalists."

A tight-lipped smile crossed Li's face at Korra's words, hiding her disgust. _If only the city had someone to fight against Tarrlok._

* * *

***No, the Fire Ferrets were not in this chapter as much as I was planning, or as much as you were probably hoping. I apologize. I'm also sorry if this chapter was in any way confusing, switching from scene to scene. To clarify, three days go by in this chapter.**


	13. Unexpected Encounters

**A special thank you to my reviewers: irok2hard, BeccaRomano, and vampheart410, and those who put this story on their alert/favorite list! **

**School is busy. Time is short. Amon is back.**

**Please read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**.**

* * *

Pulling her jacket on, Li stepped out of Republic Hall and into the chilly autumn evening. The clock on the memorial island chimed ten times, and the teenager let out a groan, knowing she had to get up early for work the next day. She would have joined Ling, who had left an hour ago, if it weren't for Mrs. Zhong's necessary review of her work.

Aside from a few complaints, the older woman was satisfied with her job as a waitress. Mrs. Zhong would report to Mr. Sato tomorrow, informing him of the new face that would be on the grounds of his estate on the weekends.

Relieved that she had made a good impression, Li thanked the elder several times before taking her leave.

"Good thing I told Ling to go on ahead of me," she mumbled to herself as she buttoned her jacket. "She would have complained about waiting for so long and losing sleep."

Descending the steps, she looked both ways before crossing the street and heading in the direction of the apartment. The good thing about holding the gala at Republic Hall was that it was only a few buildings down from Tarrlok's office, so she didn't need the map to find her way back when she had just made the trip a couple of days ago.

Pulling the cuffs of her sleeves over her naked hands, she walked briskly down the sidewalk, anxious to get out of the cold. _I should have brought my hat and gloves._

She glanced enviously at a passing man wearing both as she turned at the corner. _I bet every person I see for the rest of the evening will have them._

A group of four men came around the corner of the building in front of her, laughing and speaking in low tones amongst one another.

Li's expression hardened. It wasn't that she distrusted men and expected them to mess with her, but she chose to be wary of them at night when they hung out in groups. Looking straight ahead, she didn't make eye contact as they passed, although she noticed a couple of them glance her way.

"Hey."

Slowing her step, she turned half-way at the voice to see if the speaker was addressing her. Finding that to be the case, she halted after a couple more steps. "Pardon?"

The man who had spoken rubbed his goateed chin, scrutinizing her with a thoughtful frown. His companions had stopped to see what the hold-up was, looking from him to her.

After a few seconds of silence, the man asked, "Have we met before?"

He looked like any other person to Li's eyes, and as far as she was concerned, they had never been introduced. "No, I don't think so. You must mistake me for someone else." She gave a respectful nod and turned away. _That was weird._ She thought as the men spoke amongst one another.

"She looks like that girl."

"Which girl?"

"What are you talking about?"

She took a step forward.

"When I was at the Lotus and Zolt got taken – her picture was in the paper."

The toe of her shoe dragged slightly on the sidewalk, and she almost stumbled.

_That's something I don't want to remember. Huh. That guy didn't look familiar… But he said he was there, so where...?_ The uncertainty bothered her.

The men were now out of earshot.

Less than a minute later, she reached the corner and inconspicuously looked to where the group had been standing before the building could block her view. The men were coming back her way.

Heart skipping a beat, she narrowed her eyes in concentration and began walking faster, trying to remember the one man's face.

Thirty seconds passed and she looked over her shoulder.

The group was turning the corner. They had gotten closer.

_Now or never!_ She broke out into a run and heard a grunt come from behind:

"_Go!_"

_They are after me! But my name was cleared after I met Amon!?_

Something dark spread out under her feet and she used her velocity to leap to the right, off the sidewalk and into the deserted road. Her left foot shifted slightly as it left the sidewalk, cutting her jump short. _Ice?_

Hands coming in contact with the road, she pushed herself forward and into a shoulder roll before springing up and darting to the other side of the street.

_Wait a minute! I needed to turn left back there! It's fine, it's fine, I'll come back when I lose these guys._ She tried to assure herself as she turned right down another street.

_That was ice back there, I think… So they're benders? Triad?_

Eyes scanning the surrounding buildings in hope of locating a store or restaurant with its lights on and a large number of people inside, her search ended in disappointment. _I can't just burst into a small shop – Ling said the Triad goes around threatening people in those places all the time. Where are the big, physically intimidating _good guys _when you need them!?_

She turned a corner and ran a few more yards before skidding to a stop. _Not enough lights down here!_

The men weren't far behind, and going back could mean running into them.

Reluctantly sprinting down the darker street, she squinted at the intersection farther ahead, trying to determine the most well-lit street. Getting out of the darker spot was her first priority.

Unfortunately, she wasn't used to this much running, and she could start to feel pain creeping up through her legs and in her chest. _If I want to lose these guys, I need to lose them _now_. I don't know how much longer I can keep sprinting like this!_ Breathing hard, she put on a burst of speed, intending the increase the distance between her and the men.

One of her pursuers shouted, and subsequently, something rumbled around her. Glancing from side to side, she saw nothing. Then she looked down, just as the ground became uneven beneath her shoes, jutting upward in some places and sinking in others.

It was too late to avoid the earth bending obstacles, and she gave a gasp as her right ankle twisted painfully before she fell forward. Her jacket provided some protection for her forearms as they hit the ground to break her fall, but there was no denying there would be bruises later. Her hands weren't fortunate enough to come out unscathed, and she could feel the sharp earth cut into her palms.

Scrambling back up with a wince, she did her best to ignore the pain in her ankle and the uncomfortable tingling sensation in her hands. The thudding feet behind her sounded close, but she had no intention of checking on the group's progress. Clenching her jaw in determination, she took a step forward and felt the ground shift again.

Stretching her arms out for balance, she managed two more uneasy steps before the first man grabbed her right arm, roughly pulling her back towards him as the ground under their feet leveled. _Stupid earth bender…!_

The man twisted the captured arm behind her back, and she instinctively looked over her shoulder and brought her left leg up between the man's legs. The grip on her arm loosened and she followed up with her left elbow striking below her captor's ribcage. As the earth bender bent over she jerked her right arm away before bringing it towards him land a punch squarely in his face, a small _crunch_ issuing from the blow.

Her arm was free a second later, and she was only able to take a few steps back and shake her pained fist before the other men reached her.

_We're in the middle of a road in Republic City; why isn't someone driving down here and saving me!?_

The man sporting a small goatee reached for her, and she sent a thrust kick towards his stomach, which he successfully blocked.

Preparing to put some distance between herself and the goateed man who looked intent on kicking her back, her plan was interrupted by an arm wrapping around her neck from behind. Luckily for her, the man in green didn't follow through with the kick, as it might have harmed his partner.

Her new captor grunted as she struggled and began shuffling towards the closest alleyway.

The suffocating limb tightened around her neck, and her face heated, eyes beginning to burn. _No, no, no! I can't let him…!_

"You got her?" Asked the goateed man.

The person holding her gave a curt nod.

"Check on Bo." The remaining man who had remained silent approached the earth bender, who was hunched over and keeping a hand over his nose.

Unable to remove the man's arm with her own physical strength, Li jabbed an elbow into his stomach, and he stopped dragging her for a moment to grunt in discomfort.

"Little - !" The unoccupied bender stepped towards her when he saw her move her hips out.

The man holding her tensed and looked at his partner questioningly, and Li swung her backside into the man's gut as hard as she could, simultaneously pulling at his constricting arm. The man gasped as the air left his lungs, and he staggered back several steps before falling over.

With the goateed man closing in, Li was only able to get a few seconds' head start creating space between her and the group, her pace slowed by the increasing pain in her ankle.

Short of breath and with spots flashing in her vision, her desperate gaze was drawn to a light that appeared at the entrance of a building at the intersection ahead. A dark silhouette appeared in the doorway and Li reached out toward the figure, raising her voice to its loudest volume in hope of getting their attention. "_Hel – !_"

Her shout was cut short as a sphere of liquid enveloped her head from behind, and she inhaled water. _The water bender! I forgot!_ She dropped to her knees, eyes closed in pain and hands clutching at her neck and mouth, unable to prevent her lungs from attempting to fill with the oxygen that wasn't there as she drowned.

And then the sphere of water around her dropped, splashing on her shoulders and torso. Leaning forward she coughed up water, taking in greedy gulps of air between each gasp.

A brief sensation of heat manifested at her back, and looking over her shoulder, a ball of fire died out less than three feet from where she was kneeling.

"Ah!" She scrambled away panting, head swiveling around to try and get a grasp on what was happening.

One person was lying on the ground – the man she had punched earlier; two pairs of people were fighting; the man with the goatee was making his way towards her, edging around the fighting couples.

"I figured you were somehow involved with these scum."

Li's legs burned as she stood. She probably wouldn't get far if she tried running.

"Where is Zolt?" Growled the man. Raising an arm as he strode forward, a chunk of the road separated at the motion.

Li shook her head, trembling slightly in the cold, unable to supply the bender with an answer. The mass of earth came at her and she barely evaded it, while the bender stepped closer.

She bent her legs in anticipation, her right ankle aching in response, and the man made his hands into fists. _He's going to do it again! I'll end up in the hospital if he hits me at such a short range!_ Panic gripped her, and she determined that the best course of action was to hit him before he hit her.

Lunging at him, she threw a punch, hoping he would block her attack instead of bend.

The man moved an arm to deflect her fist, but her limb stopped short. His eyes widened in surprise as her leg extended fast, combining all the strength and energy she had left and striking him in the sternum.

Hissing in pain, she dropped her leg and staggered back, the hurt in her ankle much stronger. _Wrong leg! Wrong leg!_

The man was knocked off his feet, but not out of the fight. Pressing a hand to his chest and wincing, he glared at her. "You're going to regret that." A couple of seconds later he picked himself back up, and Li didn't dare turn her back to him.

Her panic increasing, she limped backwards as the earth bender advanced. _What do I do? What can I do!?_

"Hm." The noise came from behind her, and would have been inaudible if its maker had not been so close.

Inhaling sharply, Li quickly spun around with her hands raised, intending to fight until she was either dead or unconscious. But once she had turned, she found herself frozen in place as her eyes landed on the masked figure standing barely four feet away. For an instant, she forgot about the threat she had unintentionally put her back to.

"I'll leave them to you, Lieutenant." The pale face remained fixed on her.

"Yes, sir." A low voice acknowledged as a figure darted past Amon and into the fray.

After a few more seconds of stupefied staring, Li swiftly looked away, wondering if the Equalist leader had been staring back.

Reminded of the fight taking place, Li turned to the earth bender, who hesitated as the new opponent approached.

Unexpectedly, a hand came to rest on her shoulder, and her muscles tautened beneath it. Applying some pressure, the hand slowly pulled her away from the fight, and she gave it no resistance.

"If you're in no condition to continue fighting, then the front line is not the place for you to be." As if emphasizing Amon's point, a chunk of earth-bent road smashed into the spot where she had been watching ten seconds before.

Despite the pain in her ankle, Li moved back a little faster, until the hand left her shoulder.

Electricity crackled, and after a few more failed offensives from the earth bender, the Lieutenant's kali sticks did their job of rendering him unconscious.

Finished with his first opponent, the Lieutenant went on to the fire bender – the only bender left fighting. The water bender was out cold on the ground, cords wrapped around his calves and arms.

In less than a minute, the remaining bender was taken down by the kali stick-wielding Equalist, who proceeded to tie his arms and legs like the water bender's had been.

The other two unarmed Equalists separated, one approaching Li while the second moved towards the earth bender whom Li had punched, who was still motionless in the road.

As the Equalist came closer, Li saw that it was a woman, her face partially covered by a strip of cloth.

"Are you all right?" The woman might have been in her late twenties, but having a portion of her face covered made it hard to tell.

"I-I'm okay," Li answered, hugging herself and realizing she was shaking.

"You're wet," the woman observed, eyeing her hair.

Now that the woman said so, Li remembered that her jacket and shirt were wet. _That explains the shaking. I need to get home and out of these clothes, otherwise I might get sick._

"Jun, we could use your help with these men." Both women looked to the man who had spoken, his face also covered in cloth. Resting on his shoulder was the first earth bender, tied and unconscious.

Li frowned, squinting in the dim light. _Is he…?_

The Equalist did the same, tilting his head to the side like he was trying to see her from a different angle. "I know you," he said, and Li gave a nod of agreement as the older woman looked back and forth between the two of them.

The look in her eye became cautious. "Who is she?"

Jiro paused and glanced at the man standing behind Li, silently asking permission. "She was the girl," he admitted.

The suspicion in her eyes changed to surprise before giving way to a hint of amusement, the look visible despite the evening dark. Seemingly satisfied by Jiro's answer, she didn't continue to question.

"Um, thank you for saving me." Li quickly voiced her thanks, nodding to the individuals who come to stand around her, even gathering the courage to glance at Amon in doing so. The man had moved forward to stand where she could see him, greatly relieving her now that she knew he wasn't at her back.

"Don't mention it." Jun waved an apathetic hand before leaving the group and heading for the water bender.

Jiro only gave a one-shouldered shrug, and spoke to Amon. "This one's got blood on his face, and it looks like his nose is broken." When the Equalist leader made no comment, Jiro defended himself. "It wasn't me. There was already blood before I knocked him out."

As if the conclusion hit the men at the same time, Li watched two faces turn in her direction, and her posture deflated.

Jiro's eyebrows rose in surprise, and after a moment, Amon broke the silence. "Put him with the others and give him something to clean up with when he wakes."

Giving Li one final glance, Jiro shifted his grip on the unconscious bender and headed for the open doors of the building he and the others had emerged from.

"Can you walk?" Amon was talking to her now.

Eyes lowering from the pale mask to her feet, she hesitantly put some weight onto her right leg. The pain had begun to subside again now that she hadn't been leaning on it, but it was distracting enough.

"I think I need something to wrap my ankle with." She said quietly, feeling awkward for asking something of the Equalist leader.

Amon nodded and caught Jun's attention as she was walking by with the smallest of the benders over her shoulder, and he spoke in a hushed tone for a few seconds before the woman gave a nod and moved on.

"She will get something for your leg. You may wait inside if you wish." Amon informed her.

"I should probably clean up," she mumbled in agreement, and abruptly turned towards the building for fear that Amon would ask if she needed assistance getting inside. It was enough that she was receiving help with her injury; she didn't want to further damage her pride by having someone escort her into a building like a wounded war veteran or some frail damsel-in-distress. Clenching her jaw, she endured the pain.

Upon entering the building, she found herself surrounded by bookshelves. _Not the place I would expect Equalists to meet up._

Moving along the wall, she eventually found the women's room and stepped inside. Approaching the row of sinks, human nature made it impossible to resist a look in the mirror. To her relief, aside from rosy cheeks and being wet from the waist up, her appearance wasn't bad. But she still grabbed some paper towels to try and dry her hair with.

On examining her hands in the light, she immediately turned a faucet on and stuck her palms under the water, setting her mouth into a tight-lipped grimace. _Please don't get infected_, she inwardly groaned and reached for the soap – a necessary evil for her already stinging hands.

After a couple minutes of thorough washing, she turned the water off and grabbed some paper towels to gently dab at her palms. The skin had peeled in a few places, and both hands had cuts from catching herself on the more jagged patches of ground. _They're probably superficial_, she assured herself as she exited the restroom.

Walking down several aisles of books, she found a couple of tables and sat down at one, removing her shoe and propping her ankle on an adjacent chair. Her damp jacket was also taken off, but her shirt kept on, having decided it was dry enough and that she would rather not walk around partially naked. It felt nice taking the weight off her legs and not being in wet garments, and leaning back in the chair, she forced herself to relax. Even though the immediate danger was over, her heart was not ceasing its loud thudding in her chest. _Too much excitement in one day. I don't remember life being this crazy back home._

The corners of her mouth turned up into a small smile at the thought. _I wonder how everyone's doing? I haven't gotten a reply letter from the one I sent._

Suddenly sensing another presence, her head snapped to the side, distracting her thoughts.

Amon had appeared around the corner of a bookshelf and was making his way towards her. When he was about six feet away he stopped, keeping the table between them. As he remained standing, Li was forced to look up slightly in order to meet the eyes of the mask.

"I did not expect to see you here." Amon spoke first, indirectly questioning.

"I did not expect to run into you either," said Li, breaking eye contact and settling her gaze on the surface of the table. From her peripheral vision, she watched as Amon clasped his hands behind his back, his mask tilted down farther, as if he were looking hard at her now.

"What happened?"

Li paused. She didn't have to tell him anything; there was no obligation to respond to his words. Nevertheless – "I was on my way home," – it would be suspicious if she showed up with no explanation, even if running into them was unintentional. "Those men passed me on the street, and one recognized me from that night at the apartments. They chased me, and I made a wrong turn somewhere. I hoped that I would be able to outrun them, or that someone would see what was happening and help. I didn't know…"

_Oh no, what if I'm not supposed to know about the Equalists being here? What if this is some kind of secret headquarters, and I just exposed them to somebody watching from the shadows?_

She stiffened and ducked her head apologetically. "I'm sorry." The words left her mouth before she could reel them back into her thoughts. "I didn't mean for this to happen, and I'm sorry that you had to interfere. I wasn't aware that you were here, and I'm sorry if anyone else saw everything. I –" she abruptly cut off, her face burning.

_What am I saying? Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry; I'm just rambling!_ Now her biggest worry wasn't getting caught as a spy for Tarrlok, but embarrassing herself and saying things that would give the impression that she was mentally and emotionally unstable.

She let out a heavy sigh after a couple of seconds, still unable to look at the man standing opposite her, although the color in her cheeks was fading. When she spoke again, her voice was level. "I apologize; I'm just on edge from that encounter. Once I wrap my ankle I'll be leaving, and you won't have to be bothered by me."

Amon was silent for a moment, as though he was thinking something over. His tone was neutral when he asked his next question. "Are you fit to walk home alone on that leg?"

Li looked at her ankle and murmured, "I'll be okay." If Ling was still up at this time (unlikely), she would probably be worrying about her. It was best if she got home as quickly as possible and left the Equalists to their business.

_Stupid Triad, stupid earth bender, stupid _ankle_; if it weren't for you all I wouldn't be in this awkward situation._

From the aisle Amon had appeared came Jun, the cloth still in place despite the privacy of the bookstore. In one hand she carried a roll of medical bandages.

Amon moved out of the way for the woman to pass and stood by the nearest bookshelf, crossing his arms but looking anything but indifferent.

"Do you need me to wrap it or can you do it yourself?" Jun asked, holding up the bandage roll.

"I know how to do it, thank you." Li took the offered cloth and put her injured ankle back on the floor before unwinding a little of the roll and wrapping it around her foot and ankle. A silence settled on them as she wrapped, the atmosphere neither uncomfortable nor easy-going.

When she had finished with the bandages, she stifled a yawn. Handing the unused portion of the bandage roll to Jun, she repeated her thanks and received (what she assumed) was a hidden grin before the older woman excused herself.

Sensing that she was ready to leave as soon as possible, the Equalist leader uncrossed his arms and took a couple of steps closer.

Putting her shoe back on and getting out of her chair, Li regarded her damp jacket with some disdain before shrugging back into it. Testing the bandaged limb, a half-smile formed at the decreased discomfort when she shifted her weight, increasing her confidence that she could at least make it home without constantly taking breaks.

"Thank you for everything." She spoke sincerely to Amon as she moved around the table, managing to make eye contact for a couple of seconds. When she had almost passed him, he spoke, delaying her exit.

"If one Triad member recognized you, it's possible that others will recognize you as well. It might be in your best interest to avoid walking unaccompanied in the evening after tonight."

Biting her lip, Li realized that he was right. _Less than two weeks ago I thought I was finished with the Equalists, and here I am. Maybe I shouldn't be so shocked that the Triad thinks I'm to blame for…Zolt's disappearance – or any of the others? That means the Equalists haven't released them? Well, this is a fine mess._

She could feel Amon's eyes on her, scanning her face, searching for a change in expression or reaction.

"Two days from this evening, there will be another rally."

Despite her unease, Li forced herself to return Amon's stare, for some reason feeling as if she was being challenged to do so. _I don't think he trusts me; after all, I haven't given any reason as to why I showed up at the rally. Or maybe I'm just over-analyzing this?_ Either way, if she was going to be with the Equalists, she needed to get used to looking at the man's eyes – his head, in general – without showing fear or discomfort. Wasn't she supposed to act like she trusted him and the Equalists? So far she had botched that.

"Seven o'clock, at Cabbage Corp.'s chief distribution factory. There's a back entrance."

Li replied firmly. "I'll be there."


	14. Chi-Blocking

**I would like to thank my reviewers: irok2hard and avatarfreak24, and those who have put this story on their alert list! I appreciate you guys taking time (a big or small amount) to give me feedback.**

**Plans for getting this out over Thanksgiving break: tossed out. Vacations aren't real vacations when you get assignments and essays due the day classes resume. Finals are coming up, so I thought I'd publish what I've got (which I know is shorter than usual); otherwise, this chapter wouldn't be posted until late December.**

**Please read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**.**

* * *

Li shifted her position on the empty crate, her backside having become sore on the makeshift seat. Beside her sat Jiro, his arms folded and face blank, except for the small upward curl of his mouth. People began to file towards the building's back exit, some staying to converse in the dim light of the lighted stage.

"I thought you were a guard or something like that?" Li brought up now that the rally was over.

"I am, but I'm not on duty every day. We go in rounds – certain days of the week, hours of a day." He reached for the coat behind him and pulled it on, getting off the crate in the process. "No offense, but I'm actually surprised that you came tonight, what with your leg and all…"

"It's only a minor injury. It'll be fine by the weekend." Her tone was indignant, and realizing she had taken his comment as an insult, she leveled her voice and gave her head an apologetic shake. "I won't sit around and make things out to be worse than they really are. I said I would come and I kept my word."

Jiro frowned slightly, and Li remembered that she had not spoken the words to him.

"Well, I didn't tell you, I said that to Amon," she clarified, looking down at her hands. It felt strange to use the Equalist leader's name; up until now, she had treated the word as taboo, something that should only be spoken in secret.

"A-anyway," she removed herself from the crate, putting her weight on her good leg, "thank you again for helping me yesterday. And… I forgive you." Her voice lowered. "For that misunderstanding… Back then…" She made eye contact for a moment before awkwardly looking away, unsure how the male was going to react.

There was a brief pause in their conversation.

"Oh. Thanks." Jiro grunted, scratching his head in a self-conscious manner while also avoiding eye contact. He was trying not to make a big deal about it, but the hidden smile in his voice let Li know that he was pleased.

"I'm not just saying this because you saved me last night." Li went on quickly. "You did kidnap me, but you also saved me and the landlady from the Triad." _Although they made me temporarily homeless later on._ "So your intention wasn't bad. And I would have never gotten interested in all this," she gestured to their surroundings, "if none of that happened." She smiled and stuffed her hands in her pockets, saying all she had intended.

Jiro's posture relaxed as he let out a short chuckle. "Those words are better suited for Amon, considering he's in charge. But I appreciate it." He looked at her carefully, kicking the toe of his shoe against the ground. "So, we're good?"

Li's smile widened as she nodded. "Yes."

Sensing the lighter atmosphere between them, she moved towards the exit with Jiro in comfortable silence, pulling her jacket tighter as they stepped into the cold autumn evening.

After fingering the map in her pocket for a few seconds in contemplation, Li pulled it out, aware of Jiro's glance at the paper. She caught the smirk that flickered across his face before he could look away. "I'm just double checking the route back," she explained, turning away in embarrassment.

Going over the street names a couple of times to ensure she had them in the right order, she folded the map back into her pocket. "Is it alright to be doing so much walking on your leg when it's still healing?" Jiro broke the quiet as they crossed a street.

The cold was numbing her joints, and for the moment, her ankle felt okay. She shrugged, and Jiro sent her a skeptical look but said nothing. "I didn't think you lived this way?" Li frowned, changing the subject.

The young man did not answer right away.

"Amon assigned me to be your escort." He finally admitted, not seeming too thrilled by the idea. When he saw that Li's look resembled his own, he shook his head. "It's not permanent, and it's only when you come to the rallies. Believe me: you aren't helpless, since you did break that Triad guy's nose. Heck, you'd probably make a pretty decent chi-blocker with a punch like that." He grinned, respect in his eyes when he looked her way.

_He's one of those guys who speaks with his fists._ "Thanks," Li muttered, pleased yet anxious at the compliment as the cogs in her brain began to spin. "But I only know what my father taught me. I don't know how to do those sophisticated techniques you do." She chuckled, though it was more nerves than amusement.

Jiro shrugged and waited for a young couple to pass before speaking again. "Amon taught us and we pass it on. We use it to protect ourselves and others. It's pretty cool to be able to defeat benders with only one knuckle."

"Yeah." Li found herself agreeing. A non-bender who could fight a bender and have a fifty-fifty chance of winning was impressive.

"If you're interested, you should talk with Amon." Jiro's expression turned serious.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she let out a thoughtful hum.

"Those who want to learn need to be approved by him – not everyone is allowed to become a chi-blocker. And you'd need to understand what you were getting yourself into." Feeling the intensity of his stare, Li was compelled to meet it. "This isn't some kids' game. People have gotten hurt, arrested, and in a couple of instances, killed."

Li let the gravity of his words sink in. _Tarrlok. That man is forcing me to take part in, yet, at the same time, help suppress a revolution. I'm going to get killed! And Jiro just said that's not impossible!_ Her throat felt tight, and she swallowed.

Jiro's air of solemnity lessened when he noticed her brooding. "I'm not going to coerce you to join. This's something you decide on your own."

* * *

"So how did it go?" Ling asked when Li stepped into the apartment with a box in her arms. Her friend eyed the container curiously.

"Uniform," Li told her, holding up the box as she moved for her room. "And it didn't go too badly, since it was my first day."

Sliding open the door, she set the box down on her bed and pulled off her hat and jacket, dropping them beside the box before turning on a light. "The Sato estate is so big!" She shouted into the other room so her friend could hear. "I'm glad I'm not in charge of anything outside; the inside is big enough."

"What'd they make you do?"

"Nothing. They gave me a tour around the place. The real work starts tomorrow. I think I'm going to be working in the kitchen – doing dishes, maybe?"

Ling peered in at her from around the door, watching her pull the uniform out of the box. "They making you dress like a hostess?" She asked in a teasing voice before laughing at the black and white uniform.

"No!" Li cried, aghast at the thought, her cheeks reddening. "See!" She held the uniform out, dark pants and a matching vest, with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath. "It's normal."

"Darn it! I thought they'd give you something humiliating to wear so I could get a picture and send it to your family. Bet they'd be interested to hear you explain _that_." Ling disappeared from the doorway.

Li smiled, although the emotion didn't quite reach her eyes. "So much to do," she mumbled to herself, folding the uniform and placing it back in the box, "and so little time." Her meeting with Tarrlok was a few days away and she needed to decide what she was going to tell him, because she had already made up her mind that she was not going to say everything.

The thought made her heart quicken, and she moved to the window, pulling the curtain across it to hide her from the view of the city, as though the action would keep her plans a secret from others. Her grip on the curtain tightened. "What am I doing?" She whispered, and rubbed a hand over her face. "It'll be okay. I can get through this."

_I can't let Tarrlok know about the book store. He'd probably have the task force attack it immediately, and that would put me under suspicion among the Equalists. I should wait a week or two. I'll tell him I'm in the middle of getting involved in their activities._ She nodded to herself, deciding this was the best plan.

* * *

The next rally was not until almost a week later.

As planned, Li only gave the councilman some of the information she had gathered – the Equalists were meeting in shops and factories, Amon continued to take the bending of Triad members, and a formal declaration of the Equalist revolution would be made to the inhabitants of Republic City before the end of the year: a little less than three months away.

When preparing to leave work with Ling on Friday, Mrs. Fong stopped her to say that a message had been left. Giving a description of the letter's deliverer, Mrs. Fong handed her the envelope with a secretive smile.

Thanking the older woman, Li rejoined Ling at the exit, pulling out the paper inside. The item was blank except for a day, time, and meeting place. _Jiro._ She suddenly recognized the meaning in Mrs. Fong's smile, eyes widening in horror. _Does she think I'm…with him?!_ She blushed despite herself, and Ling watched with raised eyebrows as she hastily stuffed the paper in her pocket.

"Something I should know about?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm going to have to be out later tomorrow night for work," she half-lied. She _would_ be out later the following evening, but not because of work.

"Did you meet a guy there? The one Mrs. Fong was describing sounded pretty hot."

"No, he was just a guy –"

Ling snickered.

"You are so immature!"

"And you're too serious! I'm kidding; don't get so defensive!" But her friend was still grinning.

* * *

Li was beginning to feel less uncomfortable among Equalists – at least, around those not wearing masks. Some of them would make small talk with her, and in speaking to them, she realized the majority were not interested in grievously injuring or killing the benders who had done them wrong in the name of justice. Most of them were victims who had become tired of being threatened and pushed around by benders – mainly the Triad. In all sincerity, the Equalists believed removing benders' abilities would bring social equality and safety to Republic City: a goal that was not so different from that of many benders.

_I guess Jiro is on duty tonight_, Li thought, gazing at the faces that passed her on their way out. _He said I'll have to talk to Amon about becoming a chi-blocker._ Her stomach did a nervous flip, and she pressed a fist to her torso to steady her gut.

Amon was on the other side of the large room, talking with a small group gathered around him.

_I'm sure other people are interested too. What do I do if I get rejected? Tarrlok will…_ She crossed her arms and refused to continue thinking in that direction. _Just go up to him and ask now, while there are still people around._ She'd lose her nerve if the Equalist leader was alone when she approached.

Straightening her posture, she let her fisted hand drop to her side and forced it to unclench, taking determined steps towards the masked man. _We're on the same side. What is there to be afraid of if we're allies?_

There were still a couple of young men speaking with Amon when she was within twenty feet. It could have been her imagination, but she thought she saw the mask turn an inch in her direction when she got closer.

She stopped when she was just out of hearing range, giving their conversation privacy, all the while summoning her courage.

A few minutes later the men left and Li stepped forward.

Focusing her eyes on the mask's eyeholes, she opened her mouth to speak. "I was told to see you if I was interested in chi-blocking." _That was too blunt; but the professional tone sounds good._ "Was I told correctly?"

"Yes. You were." Under the harsh lights over the small speaking platform she could see Amon's eyes behind the mask, shadowed, calculating. They did not leave hers. "And you are interested?"

"Yes."

Amon let a purposeful silence hang in the air for a few seconds, as though he wanted her to consider the consequences of her words. "You have premeditated this decision?"

"I have." She acknowledged.

Amon gave a small nod, judging the integrity of her response. "And you are willing to accept the risks of your involvement?" His eyes narrowed, and Li felt her throat go dry. Not trusting her voice, she nodded and continued to hold his gaze. "Then I have no reason to deny you permission. However, I do wonder what your motivation is for becoming a chi-blocker."

"There are people I want to protect." Her reply was immediate, and for a second she panicked, thinking she had unintentionally given something away about her infiltration. Mentally analyzing her answer, she was relieved to realize this was not the case. But what she had said was true: her participation in Equalist activities – her reluctant cooperation with the councilman – ensured the safety of her family and friends.

Something in Amon's eyes changed, and Li found herself glancing down at her left sleeve, which had suddenly become a very interesting area of fabric.

"Tomorrow evening there is a training session at seven. Do you remember where the Dragon Flats Burrow is?"

Li frowned in thought for a moment. "The bookstore?"

Amon nodded, and she mirrored the action, although now that she had looked away, she found she couldn't face him again. "I remember it." _You think I would forget?_ Her eyes moved up to his shoulder, but stopped at that point.

"Training sessions are held there on Sundays."

"Okay. Thank you very much." Ready to leave, she almost flinched when his hand landed on her shoulder. Almost.

"It is good to have your support in this movement. I will be watching your progress; from what I saw the last time we met, you are quite capable of becoming a successful chi-blocker." He took a step back, his hand leaving her shoulder. "I expect to be impressed."

* * *

**Good luck on exams to those of you who have them!**


	15. Distracted

**Thank you, my reviewers: Whitwhit1893, BeccaRomano, Makayla, and Agent-Batman159! I also thank those who put this story on an alert/favorite list! I appreciate all of your support and love for this fic; they encourage me to write and make me happy!**

**I know this chapter is coming out later than usual, so thank you, readers, for being patient.**

**Please read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**.**

* * *

Li closed her umbrella as she entered the bookstore and made her way to the front desk. The woman seated behind the desk looked up, waiting for her to speak when she came to a stop and looked around the room with uncertainty.

"I'm here for training." Li explained softly, hoping the words would mean something to the woman.

"Name?"

"Li Shen." _She's not giving me a strange look, so I guess I'm going about this correctly?_

The woman pulled out a small slip of paper from her pocket and briefly scanned the scribbled list on it.

"Yes." She stowed the paper away before smiling at Li.

"You want to go straight back," the woman pointed over her shoulder, "and through the door marked 'employees.' Go down the stairs and after going through the next door, take a right. The room will be at the end of that hall."

Li nodded and thanked the woman before heading to the back of the bookstore. She found the employee door the woman had spoken of, and after firmly shutting it behind her, descended a short flight of stairs, at the bottom of which she found another door. Upon opening it, she found a hallway stretching to her left and right. It looked like a basement. Heeding the woman's directions, she took the right passage. The walk wasn't long, and she soon reached her destination.

Slowly moving into the room, she observed the occupants. There were five people, all men, wearing the same dark cloth around the lower half of their faces. Curtains were drawn across the windows near the ceiling, and several Equalist propaganda posters were displayed on the walls.

"You here for lessons?" Asked a big man in blue, his voice too loud in Li's opinion for someone who wanted to keep a training session a secret.

"Yes," Li replied, nervous from the curious pairs of eyes that hadn't left her since she came in.

The loud man went to the corner of the room where a small box sat and pulled out a dark cloth. "Here. Put your belongings against the wall." He held out the piece of fabric for her.

Li quickly set down her umbrella and jacket after taking the cloth from the man, and the room's occupants went back to their quiet conversations with one another. Slipping the cloth over her head and adjusting it around her face, she was surprised to find the material light-weight and comfortable. _This is nice material,_ she thought, rubbing a bit of the material between her fingers. _Something like this would be expensive. I wonder where they get the money?_

The minutes until the lesson began were filled with silence on Li's part. Finding herself in a room full of men, she was too shy to introduce herself to the others or respond to one curious glance sent her way.

"Okay. It's about time we get started." The man in blue – to Li's slight dismay, the instructor – announced. "Looks like there's a smaller turnout tonight. Perfect! Makes my job easier," he laughed. "All right. Anybody new?"

Li gulped and raised her hand, feeling some relief when two others raised their hands as well.

"Always good to have more! If you three want to move off to the side a bit, I'm going to get these two gentlemen started before I teach you the basics."

Li and the pair of newcomers moved to give the instructor and the regulars space, watching them practice.

_Their movements are so graceful_, Li noted. _Even the strikes seem fluid. _

When the instructor was satisfied with the instructions he left the others, he came to their small group. To Li: "Blue." He made eye contact with the other two. "Green. Red."

Li looked at the two young men beside her, who she had recognized as the ones talking with Amon the night before. They wore similarly quizzical expressions.

"First rule: we don't address each other by proper name, even if we're family members. Anywhere else is fine, but not here. Those colors I gave you are your identities for tonight. Second rule: we do not practice chi-blocking outside of training sessions. Everyone loves to show off; it's a great way to get a date and attract the metal benders' attention. Third and final rule: we do not give away specific information about this training to others, unless given permission by Amon. Tell your friends and family these practice sessions exist, but no teaching, giving away times and places, or invitations. Anyone who comes here must have Amon's approval. Is anyone breaking this rule right now?"

The three of them shook their heads.

"Then we'll get started." The instructor went to the wall and slid aside one of the panels, revealing a storage closet. From inside he dragged out two human-sized wooden posts and placed them in front of Li and the young men.

"Eh, you gave us colors for names. So what do we call you?" Green wondered.

The big man shrugged. "Instructor."

Red chuckled under his breath, earning him an elbow in the ribs, and Li grinned, feeling her anxiety lessen. _He's not so bad. Loud and a bit intimidating, but not bad. These lessons might be like the self-defense ones I had with Dad._

"These posts you'll be using to toughen your knuckles up." The instructor moved in front of the wooden structures and held up a hand.

"The most common knuckles used in chi-blocking strikes are those of the index and middle finger. Some people use one knuckle and others use two; it's your decision. You also want to make sure that your thumb is supporting the fingers you're striking with. Keep in mind these techniques are not punches. If you knock a post over, you're either punching or breaking your fingers. Neither one is correct."

He patted the posts beside him. "Blue and Green can start. Red, hold these posts so they don't move."

Li approached her post and made a fist, switching from one to two knuckles protruding. Choosing to use her index alone, she hesitantly extended her arm to hit the wood with the protruding knuckle,. Solid and hard. This was probably going to hurt.

"Don't be afraid to hit it!" The instructor clapped her on the back, and she nearly lost her balance.

_It's hard for me to really hit it after imagining broken fingers._

Righting herself and taking on one of the fighting stances her father taught her, she struck the post again, this time harder. Grunting at the pain in her knuckle, she pulled her arm back and looked at it.

The man next to her struck his post harder than she had hers, instantly swearing under his breath after the impact on his knuckle.

"Good job with your positioning," commented the instructor, "but a chi-blocking strike is not as strong as a standard punch. It'd take a long while before you could strike a bender that hard."

He turned back to Li. After a few minutes of watching, he spoke. "You've got a practiced stance there, Blue." Red peered at her from around the post, and Green was discreet about looking at her between strikes. "It's okay for now, but later on you're going to have to loosen up. Same goes for you, Green; don't tense up. Chi-blockers must also be flexible. Your opponents will not be standing still. Evasion is just as important as offense."

After ten long and painful minutes of striking posts and receiving feedback, they rotated, Li moving to support the posts while Red took her place. By now her knuckles were red, and she was glad for the rest.

_I hope I don't wake up with bruises tomorrow. How would I explain them to Ling – disappearing at night and sporting bruised knuckles the following day? She'd think I was participating in some kind of shady, violent business._ Li made a small frown. _But this is shady. Meeting with a revolutionary group at night… I'm even wearing a mask, for goodness sake!_

"Haaahh," Li sighed as she observed her sore joints again. She glanced at the instructor, who had returned to the other group. _Please tell us we're done with striking after a couple of rounds! I feel like my bones will break after so many strikes!_

* * *

"Blue, don't get sloppy on your ducking and weaving; bend your knees, not your back!"

Everyone had removed their extra layers, and was working on defense and offense. The two groups had combined, and Li was currently ducking under Yellow's punch and following up with two light strikes to his side. This technique and others like it had been going on for the past half-hour, and she had quickly been made aware of how much her physical fitness had diminished since she moved to Republic City.

After a couple more minutes, she heard the words she wanted to hear: "Break!"

Panting, she wiped the sweat from her brow and looked around. Seeing Green and Red panting, she felt a little less embarrassed about getting out of shape.

"Think we're done for the night?" Whispered Red.

"Almost!" The instructor's loud voice announced from behind, making the three of them jump. "There's a short review session to end things. We do it individually so that we can determine what you need to work on. You'll all wait in here, and I'll call you out into the hall one at a time when we're ready." He headed for the door, sliding it open just enough so that he could squeeze through. "Chi-blocking strikes only; and make sure you're using light contact. Yellow, you're out here first." The door slammed shut behind him.

"He is so loud," hissed Green, rubbing one of his ears. "You think he's going to yell some more when we go out there?"

"It's got to be a fight of some kind," commented Red, grinning by the sound of his voice. "There's gotta be more than one guy out there, too. He kept saying 'we.'"

"How many do you think?" Li spoke up, rubbing her knuckles.

The young men looked surprised by her question. It was only the second time she had spoken since entering the room.

"Maybe four?"

Green slapped his friend on the shoulder. "You wish."

* * *

"Blue!"

Li felt her heart skip a beat as she reached for the door. _Figures I'm last. Left to die in suspense._

It was dark on the other side, and after closing the door behind her, she found herself enveloped in silence and blind. There came a shuffling sound from the left, and she swallowed heavily, disturbed by her lack of sight.

With a small hum, the lights above her flickered to life, illuminating the two fully-outfitted Equalists around her.

The one on her left moved forward, aiming a punch at her face like the technique she had been practicing with Yellow twenty minutes ago. She ducked in the knick of time under the extending arm and struck along the Equalist's side, backing away when the next Equalist came at her.

The masked figure swung his right leg towards her, and she hesitated. _We didn't practice blocking and countering with any kicks!_

But the advancing Equalist seemed to have no qualms about kicking her.

_Just do something!_ Li grunted in pain as the kick landed hard against her left shoulder, but she managed to catch the Equalist's air-borne leg with her left arm before he could pull it back and give his shoulder a couple of quick strikes with her other hand. Instinctively she began to slide her right foot forward to sweep his remaining leg when she remembered the instructor's directions. Quickly releasing the Equalist, she bit her lip in worry that she was going to get reprimanded for almost disobeying what she had been told to do.

"Good job, Blue!" The instructor's voice shattered the silence and nearly gave Li a heart attack. She spun to look behind her, and watched as two people detached themselves from the shadows. One was the instructor, the other was Amon.

"Tripped you up on that last one, eh?" The big man gave her another bruising pat on the shoulder.

"Yes," Li admitted and restrained an exasperated sigh. _I appreciate his friendliness, but he's unintentionally beating me up. Does he not realize our difference in stature and muscle?_

"Your strikes look good," the instructor complemented. "But hesitation can get you hurt or killed, depending on the opponent. I know you weren't expecting that kick, but in a fight you've got to be ready for anything."

Li nodded in understanding. Her father had said the same thing to her: expect the unexpected in a real fight.

"All right," the instructor turned to Amon, "is there anything I missed?"

Amon gave a curt nod. "Continuing with your line of thought about hesitation…" He turned to Li. "As your instructor said, the middle of a fight is not the place to hesitate. It slows your reaction time, as I'm sure you noticed when avoiding the punch, and again when you were unable to block the kick. If you can move faster than your opponent, you have the advantage. Speed is required when you face benders; it allows you to move in close and take them down efficiently."

Amon took a few steps away from her and the instructor, to the middle of the hall. "Face me now."

_Er… What?_ Li stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was still speaking to her. _He is talking to me. And he's serious._

"Okay," Li mumbled as she stood opposite Amon.

The instructor gave them room, watching with an interested expression.

"I want you to attack me using techniques of your own choice. When you're ready." Amon widened his stance, leaning forward slightly in anticipation. "Do not hold back."

Li blinked in surprise at his directions. _If he knows what he's doing, then… I won't hold back._ She wasn't keen on attacking the man in front of her, but if he wanted her to, she wasn't going to pass up the chance. _What's wrong with a little pay-back for chi-blocking me?_ Letting out a quiet breath, she widened her own stance, deciding on her attack.

After a couple of seconds, she swung her right leg up, and Amon moved towards her, darting out of the projected path of her snap kick. _Feint._ She halted the snap kick half-way through and twisted her hips, planning on striking with a round kick.

It was a good plan, until she realized how close her opponent was. Her foot wasn't going to make contact with its intended target, but it was too late to stop the kick with her momentum behind it.

She wasn't slow, rather, Amon was faster. Side-stepping her feint, he had closed the distance between them quicker than she had anticipated, quicker than she could kick. Even her father was unable to perform such a move during practice.

Amon's left arm reached out and under her kicking leg, pulling it up, and Li felt her balance waver. As if emphasizing this point, Amon leaned into her slightly, and she began to tilt backwards.

In a last ditch attempt to land an attack on him, Li punched with her left. Not relinquishing her leg, Amon's right hand slapped her wrist to the side before it could hit, grabbing ahold of her wrist in the same move.

"Hm." Amon stood still, waiting for her reaction.

Li looked from her trapped leg to her trapped wrist, trying to figure a way out. But all thoughts left her when she felt Amon lean farther forward, his hold on her suddenly the only thing preventing her from falling.

"Train to be fast enough and you can stop an attack before it's completed." Amon gave a small jerk of his head towards her captured leg, his grip on her wrist tightening. Clenching her jaw, Li raised her eyes to meet his, conveying a silent and begrudging surrender.

"Benders are weakest at close range fighting, while short distances give chi-blockers more opportunities to strike. You did not hesitate when attacking me. That's the response I want to see." Leaning back, Amon slowly pulled her towards him so that she was no longer tilting backwards.

Li nodded, impressed by his skill yet frustrated that she hadn't been able to hit him. But he was the leader of the Equalists for a reason. She couldn't deny that the revolution was in capable hands.

The pressure on her wrist lightened when she regained balance on her one leg, her conclusion momentarily forgotten as her cheeks turned red. She had been focusing on the fight and trying to beat Amon, and now that it was over, and both parties were silent, she noticed how close he was standing. And the fact that Amon was a man, and holding her leg up. Face hot in embarrassment, she thanked the heavens that she was wearing a mask.

Even after Amon released her wrist and leg, she remained self-conscious, heart pounding. Fortunately, the instructor decided to comment, giving her a few seconds to calm down.

"Haha! I thought you were going to let her fall! Or at least push her over." The instructor called as he came over. "Don't feel bad, Blue. He bests everyone in fights, including instructors!"

When Li was certain the color on her cheeks had faded, she voiced her thoughts. "S-so I need to work on my speed and hesitation the most? There's nothing else?"

"Nope. Not yet."

She glanced at Amon.

"Your offensive speed was much greater than it was when you were up against the others." He nodded towards the masked Equalists watching in silence. "If your defensive speed is slow, take the offensive before your opponent has the chance."

The instructor crossed his arms. "Well, that's it for tonight's training, Blue. You can grab your things from the room now; you've earned a long rest."

Nodding, Li headed for the door but paused before opening it. Turning around, she bowed towards the men and to the masked Equalists. "Thank you for the lesson."

After retrieving her belongings from the room, she pulled off her mask and handed it to the instructor, who was speaking with Amon.

"Are we going to see you again next week?" He asked expectantly, taking the mask.

Without the piece of fabric to hide her face, Li shyly lowered her eyes to the man's shoulder instead of meeting his eyes. Her hands shook as she balled them into fists, adrenaline lingering from the fight.

_A week from now…_ _I have to give Tarrlok a report in a few days,_ she mused, the thought startling her.

"Yes." Despite her self-consciousness, Li felt her mouth form a real smile when she answered. She liked the feeling.

From the minute she stepped into the training room, not once had she thought about Tarrlok or the mission.

* * *

**Amon is still in character, right? Yes? Maybe? Not at all?**

**Amon, why must it be so hard to write your parts?**


	16. Trust Issues

**Thank you to my reviewers: LHNT, Temptacious, and avatarfreak24, and to everyone who has added this story to their favorite/alert list!**

**Sorry for the long delay! I've had too much school work in the past several months to write. However, as the school year is now over, I hope to have a little more time to work, and maybe even update more frequently.**

**Please read, review, and enjoy! :)**

**I do not own **_**The Legend of Korra**_**.**

* * *

"I thought you were finished giving reports to Councilman Tarrlok?" Ling asked Li as the two walked side by side up the staircase to the councilman's office.

Li frowned, keeping her eyes trained on the stairs in front of her. _Did I say that?_ "No, he still has me watching for suspicious activity."

"But that's dangerous; you're just a civilian! Don't the police takes care of jobs like this?"

"Yes, but," they stepped onto the landing and Li lowered her voice, "I shouldn't be talking about this stuff." She felt a hand close around her arm, and paused to look at her friend. Ling's expression was uncharacteristically serious.

"You have the right to refuse to participate. This isn't something you're required to do if you don't want to. Republic City may be a larger city than where you're from, but its people still have rights."

Li was the first to look away, unable to continue holding the young woman's stare. _She suspects—no, I think she knows that something is…_ Her wandering gaze landed on the large doors of Tarrlok's office.

"There are chairs by the door, so you can sit there. I promise it won't take long." She tried a smile, but dropped it when she realized it was not enough to convince her friend, let alone herself, that everything was all right.

Ling's hand left her arm, the teenager giving up on reasoning for the time being.

_Maybe I should tell her._ Li started walking again, slowly.

After a moment, her friend's footsteps followed.

There was no more conversation between them as they continued their walk, and Li couldn't shake the feeling that there was a distance between her and Ling. She was keeping her friend in the dark, despite the kindness Ling was showing her. Back home, she hadn't kept things from her friends. _This city is changing me for the worse._

Drawing closer to their destination, Ling suddenly broke the silence with a sharp inhalation at the same time Li recognized the figure standing outside the office doors.

"What's he doing here?" Li mumbled, glad for a distraction from the tension between her and her friend. A teasing grin was sent in Ling's direction. "Well, you did want to be introduced; looks like you get your wish."

Bolin was so engrossed with his attempts to make Pabu perform an acrobatic trick that it wasn't until the two young women were standing in front of him that he noticed them.

"Oh, hey, Li. What are you doing here?" He glanced at Ling and smiled, and a tinge of pink suddenly colored the girl's cheeks.

"I'm working as an informant for the Councilman," Li explained, her expression a little less enthusiastic than she wanted. "Oh, sorry, this is Ling: she's a friend of mine. Ling, this is Bolin." Introductions weren't really necessary, as there were few who did not know the face of the talented Pro-Bender, but Ling would really kill her if she didn't give Bolin her name.

Bolin shook hands with the awestruck girl, who remained unusually quiet and looked as though she were dreaming. "Nice to meet you."

Ling only nodded, and Li barely managed to keep a laugh from escaping her lips.

"What are you doing here?" Li asked, glancing at the closed doors. "I would have thought you'd be training for the Pro-Bending Finals."

"Yeah, well…" Bolin's cheerful air seemed to dim. "Ever since Korra joined the task force she's had to cut her Pro-Bending and Avatar training times in half. And Tarrlok's _always_ calling on her to break up some secret Equalist rally. Mako and I have been training," he picked up the fire ferret, holding him out in the females' direction, "and even Pabu's been working on his entrance. But we still need Korra."

The teen stiffened, a disturbing thought striking him. "You don't think Tarrlok doesn't want us to win the Finals, do you?!" He looked at Pabu, who turned his head to the side with a short, questioning chatter. "I understand, buddy. There's something suspicious going on here."

One of the office doors suddenly swung open, and Bolin hid the fire ferret behind his back. "Nothing going on here!" He announced as Korra stepped into the hallway, her expression set in to a scowl.

"You know, it you had left Pabu with Mako you wouldn't have to stuff him in your shirt whenever someone walks by."

"He's not in my shirt, Korra; Pabu won't be able to breathe if I put him there. The reason Mako can't take him is because he's on a date."

Korra muttered something that sounded derogatory before turning to Li and Ling, letting out a long breath to release her pent up negative emotions. "Oh. Hey." She hesitated a moment, sorting through her memory. "Llllll… Li?"

"Yes. And this is my friend, Ling," Li motioned to her quiet companion, who had managed to rid her face of the blush.

"We were just talking about Pro-Bending," Bolin said, bringing Pabu out from behind his back. "You're still coming to practice tomorrow, right?"

"I don't know. Tarrlok's called for another meeting."

"Will you be able to participate in the Finals?" Li looked from Korra to Bolin, unable to keep the uncertainty out of her voice.

Korra's eyes narrowed, and she placed her hands on her hips defiantly. "Tarrlok may be in the Council, but there is _no way_ he is going to stop me from participating in the Finals. I've earned at least that as a reward for all the work I've had to do with this task force of his."

Someone cleared their throat, and the group turned to the spectacled man peering out from behind one of the office doors. "Li Shen?" Li gave a small wave and the man nodded in recognition. "Councilman Tarrlok will see you now."

Turning back to the others, "I've got to go." Li glanced in Ling's direction before following the secretary through the doors. The Pro-Benders would keep Ling attention occupied for a while.

* * *

The councilman did not look happy when Li entered his office – not that he ever looked like he was in good mood – but his expression was particularly unfriendly today.

_Maybe it has something to do with Korra? It seemed as though her and Tarrlok are not on good terms either._ Cautiously approaching him, she stopped a few feet from the desk, heart beating a little quicker.

"What do you have to report?" The councilman did not even try to hide the impatience in his voice.

"I've begun to attend chi-blocking lessons. There is practice scheduled for tonight at the Dragon Flats Burrow, under the bookstore. We wear masks to hide our identities, and we do not use our given names." Li spat out the information as though reading from a script, wanting to get her report over with as soon as possible.

"So you have attended other sessions before this."

Li's throat went dry, and she found the small cough needed to strengthen her voice painfully loud in the large, yet sparsely furnished office. "I… Yes. Last week I went to one." She replied, although he hadn't questioned her.

Tarrlok leaned back in his chair, the fingers of one hand drumming against the arm of his chair: a bad response, in Li's opinion. "You have been to an Equalist training session in the recent past, even _before_ our last meeting, but failed to report it to me."

In fact, she had been to three sessions. The Equalists must have been planning to make their move soon, because after her first lesson, chi-blocking practices had started to be held three times a week instead of the usual one. Wishing she could sink into the floor, Li opened her mouth to speak, only to hesitate as Tarrlok's frown deepened.

"I just wanted to make sure I had really infiltrated their ranks and not been deceived." The lie sounded better than stating her honest belief that Tarrlok would make a bad judgment call after receiving such important information. He was a war hawk, and Li half expected him to throw together his task force in the span of a few hours to take down the Equalist chi-blocking group as soon as possible without proper planning.

"All right." The man gave a small nod of acknowledgment, releasing Li from the pressure of being caught lying. "What time do you meet?"

"Seven in the evening."

"How structured are these sessions?"

"Lessons seem to be based on an individual level. The instructors are sufficient at teaching chi-blocking."

The councilman's frown was beginning to lift. "Is the bookstore's staff involved?"

After a small pause: "I don't know." The people working at the reception desk definitely knew, but Li could not speak on behalf of the entire group. She may have been working for Tarrlok, but it was not of her own free will, and she would rather not unintentionally involve innocent people.

Over the past week, she had come to realize that she preferred the Equalists' company over the councilman's. Amon and some of the other Equalists might have been scary, but overall they were more respectful and considerate than the councilman, were not threatening her to be a chi-blocker, and trusted one another. Considering her betrayal of their trust, she was beginning to feel like the villain of the story.

"Depending on how long it will take the task force to halt Equalist activities, your services may no longer be required in, say, two months."

A flame of hope rose within Li, only to be just as quickly snuffed out.

"Two months?"

"Unless you wish to cease your cooperation now…" Tarrlok said, his lightening mood turning sour again. "It won't take much effort to set up your _arrangements_ with security, and I can have your family and acquaintances brought in within the week if I find your loyalty to the Council waning."

"That's… That won't be necessary." Li looked away from the councilman.

"I am glad. What else do you have to report?"

Balling her hands into fists to restrain her frustration, Li continued. "The Equalists are going to move against the Triad soon. Amon plans to strike at them while they're occupied with their own inner power struggles." She crossed her arms. "That's it."

"Then you are dismissed." The desire to be rid of one another seemed mutual today.

Although Li wanted nothing more than to slam the door behind her, there was something that had not been addressed.

"What will happen if I'm present when the task force… captures a group of Equalists? How do I explain that I'm not one of them?"

If Tarrlok meant for her to continue working as a spy, she could not be arrested; but that would mean maintaining her role as an unsuspicious character. Should the task force begin to interrupt Equalist meetings when she was present, wouldn't others question her if she was the only person not taken into custody after raids?

"You do not need to worry about such things. They will be taken care of." Tarrlok dismissed the concern, doing little to convince her.

* * *

When Li left the councilman's office, Bolin and Ling were still talking in the hall, but Korra was absent.

"Korra went to practice air bending with Tenzin." Bolin said when Li inquired about the missing Avatar.

The three of them began to descend the stairs, the tension in Li's shoulders lessening the greater the distance she put between her and the office.

"We have to get our practices together or we won't make it anywhere in the Finals!" Cried Bolin, drawing startled looks from other people on the staircase. "I can't do all the work here, even if it does make my fan base bigger! There's no 'I' in team!"

Ling reached out as if wanting to pat the youth on his shoulder in a comforting gesture, but her cheeks turned red and she failed to bring herself to complete the action. "I-i-it will work out. I'm sure the others know how hard you're working and will… uh… be inspired to perform better! Right, Li?" She sent Li a come-on-help-me-out-here look.

"Yeah, things will turn out okay in the end," Li tried, wishing she could believe those words and apply them to her own situation. "You guys are really talented and you make a great team. I don't think you'll have anything to worry going in to the Finals."

Bolin let out a sigh, and then smiled. "Thanks guys. Hey, I never asked – are you coming to see our first match?"

"Uh…" Li looked at Ling questioningly.

"There are always the cheap seats? They may not give us the best view, but we can definitely afford them!"

"All right." Li nodded, Ling's enthusiasm infectious. "I may have to cut back on how much food I buy for the next couple of weeks, but I'll make it work. I've never been to a match before, but seeing the first round of the Finals would be even more exciting than a regular match."

"You bet it _would_!" Ling's voice turned shrill as they stepped outside, a cold gust of wind hitting them in the face.

"Aaaugh! It's going to snow; it's definitely going to snow, no matter what the weather man's been saying about sunny skies!"

* * *

"For those of you who were not present at the last meeting, Amon plans to strike at the Triple Threat Triad during their next battle." The Lieutenant slowly paced in front of the row of chi-blockers in training, making eye contact with each one of them.

"This information is being released to you because Amon has decided that some of you will be accompanying him on the mission. The time to announce our revolution to Republic City is approaching. We will need as many chi-blockers as we can get. Amon knows that some of you are more experienced than others, but this will be an invaluable opportunity for the majority of you to apply what you are learning." The man stopped pacing. "Are there any questions?"

The young woman standing beside Li raised her hand. "So how do we know if we're going on the mission?"

"Amon will inform those he expects to attend at the next two sessions. If this is your first day of training, I can assure you that you will not be expected to participate. Those who are less experienced may be selected to come, but they will be put with senior members, or at least not participate at the front lines of the battle." The Lieutenant paused. "Any more questions?"

_Might as well; I'm sure everyone else is wondering the same thing._ Li raised her hand. The Lieutenant's presence could be just as intimidating as Amon's at times, but she found it a little more comforting that she could at least see the second in command's face. "Do we know what day the Triad will next fight?"

"Our sources tell us it is this Friday. Amon is confirming that information now."

There was a mixture of excitement and anxiety in the room as people exchanged looks with one another.

Li glanced up at Jiro, who had been acting as her training partner for the evening. His eyebrows were raised in surprise, but a fire flickered in his eyes.

_Yeah, I bet you're looking forward to this – even with such short notice._ _But what if Amon chooses me? The last time I fought with the Triad, it didn't end so well._


End file.
